Chapter 57

Adrian had

hoped.

He

thought

that the look in Noelle’s eyes was pity. That, even after everything, even after all she went through because of him, there was still something left in her heart that

felt

for him.

So he had taken it as his chance. His only chance.

“N...oelle...” he choked, his voice barely a whisper, already fading with the last of his strength. His entire body was shutting down, the pain, and the exhaustion. But he

refused

to close his eyes. He

refused

to look away from her.

“I...’m sorry...” His words came out broken, fragile, nearly swallowed by his sobs. “Please... f-forgive me...”

His head dropped forward slightly, his shoulders shaking, his body convulsing with uneven gasps. “P-please...” he rasped, barely able to form the words past the wreckage of his throat. “I... I never meant for it to end like this... I never—”

A choked sob cut him off. He shook his head frantically, hi