Chapter 98. Forgive Me

Caliana’s POV

My heart was hammering so violently in my chest that I was certain everyone in the room could hear it. The sound seemed to echo in my ears, drowning out everything else as I stared at the man standing before me—the man I had sworn I hated, the man I had convinced myself I would always hate.

Edward.

For five months, I had rehearsed this moment in my head. I had imagined rage, cold indifference, even triumph at seeing him regret everything he had lost. But nothing—absolutely nothing—had prepared me for the way my body betrayed me the instant our eyes met.

His gaze was filled with so many emotions that I couldn’t untangle them. Guilt. Shock. Longing. Pain. Hope. Regret. They all swirled together, raw and unguarded, as if he no longer had the strength to hide behind his Alpha mask. His eyes slowly dr