sure the last part has been proven.”
“It has.”
A laugh escaped me.
Then Ethan’s expression became serious.
“I knew the arrangement was unfair.”
“You were unconscious.”
“I made it possible before that.”
“Yes.”
“I gave instructions that you could refuse. That you would receive financial protection regardless of whether the ceremony happened.”
“My father did not mention that.”
“I know.”
He looked down at his hands.
“I am sorry, Clara.”
The apology contained no request.
No expectation that I comfort him.
Only responsibility.
I studied the man I had first met while he lay silent beneath white sheets. The man who had chosen a dangerous road to draw attention away from someone he barely knew. The man who had built a marriage contingency out of trust, calculation, and perhaps a hope he had never expected to confess.
“What happens now?” I asked.
“That should be your decision.”
“And what
