Page 132 of Unleashed

“It’s your decision, Morgan. I won’t make it for you, as much as I want to whisk you away.” His voice was tender but conflicted, torn between his desire and his respect for my situation.

“There’s no hope for me and Slade. It’s over.”

He sighed, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “You’ve only been married a short time. Are you sure?”

“Are you trying to talk me back into my marriage?” I asked, incredulous.

“As much as I want you to be mine,” he murmured, “I don’t want to win by default.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut, and another wave of tears began to fall. “That’s exactly what Slade was. He won by default because you were gone.”

Michael groaned softly, pulling me closer. “So, I had a chance?”

“I think it was always you,” I whispered.

“All this heartache,” he said, his voice tight with regret. “For nothing.”

I looked up at him, my voice barely audible. “You didn’t give me a chance, Michael. I loved you both, but... I think I loved you a little bit more.”

He closed his eyes, his jaw clenching. “And now, here we are.”

“Yes,” I said quietly. “Here we are.”

As we saton the couch, the soft clinking of our mugs filled the silence. Erika sipped her chamomile tea, her piercing blue eyes locked on mine. The engagement party had ended hours ago, but the tension from the evening still hung heavy in the air. Lincoln was downstairs in the gym, working out, giving us space for some much-needed girl talk.

Erika tilted her head, her brow furrowing as she asked, “Where did you go with Michael earlier?”

I hesitated, swirling my tea before answering. “We talked… in one of the empty conference rooms.”

“And what did he say?” she asked, setting her mug down, clearly bracing herself.

I let out a shaky breath. “He still loves me.”

Her eyes flickered with surprise, but she didn’t speak right away. “What did you tell him?”

“Everything.” I shifted uncomfortably, the weight of the conversation pressing down on me. “He knows about Slade. About what he’s done… to me.”

Erika’s gaze sharpened, her voice low and careful. “Was he upset?”

“I think he was more upset when I told him Slade won by default,” I admitted, my voice cracking. “This whole thing is such a mess, Erika. It’s my fault. I ruined everything between the three of us.”

“You didn’t screw up Slade. He did that all by himself.” Erika’s voice turned hard, her eyes narrowing with anger. “You didn’t ask him to fuck other women, and you certainly didn’t make him act like a completely different person.”

I bit my lip, hesitating before I whispered, “We don’t know if he actually slept with anyone.”

Erika’s eyes widened in disbelief, her tone incredulous. “Are you daft? I told you what I saw!”

I raised a hand defensively. “But that doesn’t mean he slept with her…”

She slammed her mug down on the coffee table, her frustration palpable. “What the hell do you think it means?” she snapped. “He comes out of a hotel room with a much younger woman, and you think they were in there playing checkers?”

“No! I’m not saying that.” My voice wavered. “I just… I want him to tell me. I want to hear it from his mouth.”

Erika crossed her arms, leaning back with a heavy sigh. “And you believe he’s just going to confess? Just like that?”

I swallowed hard. “He’s my husband…”

Her laugh was cold, cutting through the air like a knife. “For how long, Morgan? He hasn’t even tried to ask for forgiveness. No flowers, no apology. Nothing.”

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