[Music recommendation: Ardie Son - Hidden]
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The begging tone struck a chord in Eve's heart, but she could not bring herself to respond to the man in front of her. A warm arm wrapped around her shoulder, and she turned to meet Ivan's calm, warm gaze, which thawed her frozen heart.
Drawing strength from him, she took a quiet breath and lifted her hand to wipe the tears from her face before looking back into Solan's eyes.
"There is too much history between us… too much pain and suffering to be mended with a simple apology or a single act of redemption. You don't… you don't know what I have been through at the hands of-"
Her lips trembled, the words refusing to come out as the weight of it all choked her.
Ivan reached out and clasped her hand, understanding how much she had kept buried within herself, never having had the chance to speak of it to the very person responsible for her suffering.
She squeezed his hand in return and continued, her voice more controlled now.
