Page 168 of Sweet Obsession

Instead, I find myself taking a slow, shuddering breath, my voice finally breaking the silence.

“Why, Misha?” It’s a whisper, but it feels like it rips through me. “Why are you here?”

He shifts, rising slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. There’s a mix of agony and relief in his expression, as if just seeing me again is both a torment and a salvation.

“I told you, I needed you,” he says, his voice hoarse, cracking on the words. “But more than that, Luna... I need you to know... that I’m not giving up. Not on you. Not on us.”

His words hit me harder than anything I expected.

Not giving up.

Those words should have comforted me, but instead, they make my stomach tighten in ways I can’t explain. Every muscle in my body screams at me to stay away from him, but my heart?

My heart still beats for him.

“I didn’t ask you to come here,” I manage, taking a step back, my pulse racing. “I didn’t ask you to keep chasing me.”

He looks at me like I’ve slapped him, but he doesn’t flinch. He doesn’t look away.

“I know you didn’t,” he says softly, his voice low, almost regretful. “But I don’t know how to stop, Luna. I’m... I’m sorry for everything. For the way I hurt you, for all the things I did. But I need you to understand... I never meant for any of this to happen. I never meant to... break you.”

I want to scream at him. I want to tell him how much he hurt me, how much he’s destroyed inside me. How could he come here and act like nothing happened? Like the pain and the betrayal don’t matter?

But instead, I swallow the words. I swallow the fire in my chest because, for some reason, I can’t bring myself to push him away. Not completely.

Gabriella’s voice cuts through the moment, sharp and unwavering.

“You broke her, Misha,” she says, her eyes burning with fury. “You broke her, and now you think you can just—what? Apologize and everything will be okay? You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to walk in here and make her feel like this is something she can just fix with you.”

Her words sting. I know they’re true. I know she’s right. And yet, there’s something inside me that refuses to let go of him completely. Even now, after everything.

Misha turns toward her, his eyes pleading. “I’m not asking for forgiveness from you, Gabriella. I’m asking for it from her.”

My breath catches. I can barely breathe.

I finally look at Gabriella, and she sees it—sees the cracks, sees how close I am to shattering in front of him. Her gaze softens, but only for a moment. Then she looks back at Misha, and I can see the tension in her body.

“I don’t know what to say to you,” she says finally, her voice shaking with restrained fury. “But I’m not the one you need to talk to. Not anymore.”

I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut.

Not anymore.

I look at Misha. His face is a mix of confusion and hurt, but there’s a resolve in his gaze. Something hard and unyielding. Like he’s ready to take whatever punishment I give him, if only to reach me.

“I’ve made so many mistakes, Luna,” he says quietly. “I don’t expect you to forgive me, not right now. But I need you to hear me. Please. I need you to hear me.”

I want want to hate him. But instead, I find myself stepping forward, just a little, unable to resist the gravity of his presence.

Gabriella’s voice breaks through the quiet, a little sharper than before.

“This is too much. I’ll give you both some space,” she says, her eyes flicking between the two of us, an unspoken warning flashing in her gaze. “You’ve said what you needed to say. But Luna... don’t make any decisions right now. Not in this moment.”

I nod, but it feels like a lifetime before she leaves the room. I watch her go, her footsteps echoing down the hall, leaving me alone with Misha.

Misha takes a deep breath, his shoulders sagging as if the weight of the world is still pressing down on him. His eyes never leave mine, though—there’s an urgency in them now, something raw and real that I haven’t seen before.

“I wasn’t there for you, Luna. I know that. And I don’t expect you to forgive me for that. But I need you to understand something.” His voice is rough, thick with emotion. “When I became Pakhan, I thought I had to carry everything. I thought being in charge meant I had to do it all alone—shoulder everyburden, bear every responsibility. I didn’t prioritize you. I didn’t prioritize what mattered most.”