Chapter 131

He respected her boundaries completely, honoring the choices she made about her modesty and her comfort without ever questioning them. Boundaries were not walls to him; they were sacred ground. And she respected his in return, appreciating the patience and care he showed in every interaction. That mutual understanding had become the foundation of everything between them, something solid and unspoken that made even the simplest moments feel deeply meaningful.

His heart wrenched with the thought alone that she had to be alone in a room with unknown men and forced to warm their bed. The thought was a blade he could not stop turning in his chest. The image forced its way into his mind no matter how hard he tried to push it away: her small frame in a dimly lit space, strangers’ hands reaching, her quiet dignity stripped away piece by piece. His throat constricted with the imagination of that scene until it felt like he could barely draw breath.

He quickly closed his eyes, tak