Chapter 77. Torn Between Truth and Lies

Ethan POV

"In the time I spent in Rowan's domain, I assured him that you would never give up something valuable for my sake. That I don't hold the importance he believed I had in your life," Anastasia reveals, her voice soft, laden with remorse and suffering. Each word of hers is a direct stab to my heart.

I want to embrace her, kiss her, and tell her she's all I want, but I'm paralyzed by guilt and fear of losing the one person who makes me feel alive.

"But when I heard your voice in the forest, when I saw that you had come and were willing to give up the crystal, I felt my heart fill with joy. I thought I would never see you again, and there you were, willing to give up something so powerful for my sake. And it nearly cost you your life," Anastasia declares, and I notice a tear rolling down her cheek. The sight of that tear is a painful reminder of how my actions have hurt her.

I gently stroke her face, wiping away th