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The confession hangs heavy in the air between us. I feel the pull of everything that’s left unsaid, the guilt of not being able to fully give him the truth, and the confusion of not knowing where I stand anymore. How can I reconcile the man I love with the man who killed my brother? How can I love him in spite of everything he’s done?

Matteo’s eyes flash with a mix of regret and guilt. “I’m sorry, Maria. I can’t begin to make up for what I’ve done.”

His voice cracks—raw with remorse and pain—but I can’t tell if I’m ready to forgive him.

“I don’t deserve your forgiveness. Or your mercy. Even if it was an accident—a horrible, terrible mistake—it doesn’t change the fact that I killed your brother.”

The words slice through me like a double-edged sword.

“I was hurt, Matteo,” I continue, my voice trembling now as the weight of the words press down on me. “And I was angry. Oh, God, I was so angry. I wanted to hate you. I wanted to hate you so badly because the truth was too hard to face—I was in love with you.”

I pause, the rawness of the confession hitting me like a wave. It’s painful, but it’s the truth. I can feel the walls around my heart start to crumble as the memory of him in the cabin floods my mind—the way he rushed to me, how his fear was written all over his face. How, even after everything, he still cared.

In the silence that stretches between us, it feels like I can hear my heart beating—steady, insistent, pulling me toward him. But the weight of what we’ve lost, of what he’s done, threatens to tear that connection apart.

I’ve spent so long convincing myself that love could be enough—that if I just held on tight enough, we’d find a way through.

But love built on broken promises was never going to last.

And the illusion holding us together… it shattered the moment I watched my brother fall.

“But then, in the middle of all the rage and confusion, I saw you, Matteo. I saw you in the cabin, coming for me—fear etched across your face. I saw the man who would do anything to save me. And for a moment… I wanted to believe that was enough. That despite everything, despite the pain, I still loved you. That I could still believe in us. In that moment—so close to death—it wasn’t dying that terrified me. It was the thought of letting go of you. Of waking up in a world without you in it.”

I shake my head slightly, the ache in my chest tightening. “But love isn’t supposed to feel like this—like a wound that never heals. And every time I look at you, I see what I lost. Loving you feels like betraying him… like turning my back on my brother. Like every beat of my heart for you erases a piece of him—and the memory I’m still trying to protect.”

My voice falters, the rest of the words lodged painfully in my throat.

He doesn’t speak. Doesn’t reach for me. He just stands there—still, silent—like he knows that any wrong move might break me completely. And somehow, that silence gives me the space I didn’t even know I needed.

“Over the past few months, I’ve come to know you—your character, the kind of man you are. And that man doesn’t shoot innocent people in cold blood. You’re not perfect. You live in the gray, and sometimes you make impossible choices… You protect what’s yours. You act when you’re cornered. And maybe that’s why it hurts so much—because deep down, I still believe you’re not the villain in this story.”

His expression shifts—something flickers in his eyes, raw and unspoken—but it’s quickly replaced by a deep sadness that makes my heart ache.

He doesn’t say anything at first, just stares at me, as if trying to process what I’ve said.

“I shouldn’t want to still be with you. In fact, I should run for the hills and never look back. That would be the safest option—the only logical answer for me. And yet… somewhere along the way, against every ounce of reason, I fell in love with you, Matteo,” I whisper, my fingers curling around his. “But love isn’t always enough. Not when it’s built on pain. Not when it costs me pieces of myself.”

I gently pull my hand from his, the ache rising in my throat.

“I love you… but I can’t stay—not right now. Maybe not ever. Because if I stay, I’m choosing you over the part of me that’s still grieving him. And I don’t know how to live with that.”

His eyes shine, the emotion in them breaking something inside me. He leans forward, presses a kiss to my forehead—soft, reverent, like goodbye.

“I never wanted to hurt you,” he murmurs, his voice thick with regret.

We hold each other’s gaze, a thousand words spoken in silence.

And for one final, fleeting moment—I wish things had been different.

But love alone won’t carry us through this storm.

Not this time.

But just as the silence settles between us, my thoughts shift—and a sudden panic grips me. “Daniele,” I whisper, breaking the fragile stillness. “How is he?”

The weight of Daniele’s fate crushes me in a way I can’t fully grasp. His apology, his regret—it feels like a final breath he’ll never get to exhale.

And the man who should be at his side… is here, with me.