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“This—everything we’ve shared—” he started, running his fingers through this hair in frustration, “It was a mistake.”

Yvette took a step back, as though his words had physically struck her.

“A mistake?”

“Aye,” he said, his tone heavy. “It was never supposed to be this way. We got carried away. I won’t make that mistake again.” He met her gaze then, his eyes shadowed with pain.

“Ye deserve more than what I can give ye.”

Her lips parted in disbelief, her voice trembling as she spoke.

“What I deserve? What I deserve is a husband who isn’t afraid to fight for what we have.”

His jaw tightened.

“What we have is fragile at best. I cannot risk it—cannot risk ye.”

Yvette stared at him, her hurt morphing into anger.

“Risk me? Is that what this is about? Your fear? You’d rather push me away than face it?”

“It’s not just fear!” Killian snapped, his voice rising. “I lost my mother. I lost Albina. I can’t go through that again, Yvette. I won’t.”

“And I’m not them!” she shot back, her voice breaking. “I’m here, Killian. I’m alive, and I’m trying to build something with you. But you—” She let out a bitter laugh. “You’d rather hide behind your pain and keep me at arm’s length.”

Killian looked away, his expression anguished.

“I apologize, but I cannot give ye more than this.”

Yvette’s hands clenched into fists at her sides.

“You’re not sorry. You’re a coward,” she said, her voice cold. “You don’t see me as your partner, do you? I’m just someone convenient to help solve your problems.”

Her words cut deep, but Killian said nothing, his silence confirming her fears.

Tears stung her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

“Goodnight, Killian,” she said stiffly before turning on her heel and walking out of the room.

The door closed behind her with a finality that echoed in the silence. Killian stood alone in the dim light, his chest heavy with regret. He sat down on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands, wondering if he had just destroyed the one thing that could save him.

CHAPTER 28

The air between Yvette and Killian was heavy with tension and unspoken words. It had been three days since their heated argument, but the memory of his rejection still stung.

They avoided each other like strangers in the same house, exchanging only curt pleasantries whenabsolutelynecessary.

Yvette busied herself with supporting Fiona’s budding courtship, accompanying her to social events and gatherings. Yet, even as she smiled and offered encouragement to her sister-in-law, her heart felt hollow.

It wasn’t that Fiona’s happiness didn’t matter to her—it did—but Yvette couldn’t summon the energy to bask in it. Her mind was elsewhere, tangled in the unresolved tension with her husband.

Yvette never knew where he was anymore. Each morning, he left before she awoke, and he returned late at night, long after shehad retired to her room. He no longer worked in his study, and it was as if he were deliberately ensuring their paths wouldn’t cross.

The previous night, as Yvette stood outside his study door, she’d noticed the absence of light spilling from beneath it. Her heart had sunk. She had returned to her room, her hands trembling, and sat on the edge of her bed, willing herself not to cry. Crying wouldn’t change anything, she had told herself. It wouldn’t erase the distance that had grown between them, so she had taken a deep breath and gone to sleep.

This morning, however, she resolved to make the best of her day. She couldn’t control Killian’s actions, but she could decide how to spend her time. The opportunity came when Fiona suggested a walk in the park, and Yvette agreed readily, eager for a distraction.

The Season was at its peak, so it wasn’t a surprise when Yvette and Fiona arrived at the park, and it was bustling with activity, the light air carrying the laughter of ladies and the chatter of London’s fashionable crowd.