Chapter 43

Vera's POV

"I love you, Jack," I confessed, the words slipping out like a breath I’d been holding for years.

My heart felt weightless. For the first time in a long while, I wasn’t hiding anymore. I had told him everything.

Jack didn’t flinch. He took my hand gently and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. “I want you to understand something,” he said softly, his voice rich with emotion. “Your past doesn’t get to dictate your present. You’re not bound by it anymore. Let it go, Vera. Don’t let it ruin your future. What happened to you… it doesn’t change who you are to me. And I swear, I’ll never hurt you like he did.”

I bit back the tears that pricked behind my eyes. “I’m sorry I kept it from you,” I whispered. “It’s not because I don’t trust you, I do. I was scared. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. I wasn’t ready to say it all out loud.”

“You don’t have to explain, Vera,” Jack said, pulling me closer. I leaned into his chest and let hi