With love, she gave everything or nothing at all. No middle ground. Whatever storms her partner faced, she wanted to face them by his side. Cole needed to see her for who she really was—a woman with her own strength, her own convictions. If he chose not to tell her the truth, then she refused to beg for answers.

Rising to her full height, Elliana gazed at his distant expression and spoke with a steady voice. “Cole, tell me why you want to end this marriage.”

“Didn’t Myles explain it back in Podgend?” Cole’s voice was detached, almost robotic, as he kept his gaze fixed on the floor. “Somewhere along the way, I realized my feelings weren’t what I thought. Our marriage never started out right. From the very first night, I discovered you’d made yourself look ugly on purpose. It felt like a funny game, and I played along, wanting to see the real you. So, I chased after you and enjoyed the exhilaration it brought. But once the novelty faded after I won you over, it all seemed ridiculous. There’s no meaning left in any of it. If I’m being honest, I don’t even care that much anymore. I don’t want to be stuck with you for life. It feels like you’re holding me back.”

Then, Cole let a faint smile tug at the corners of his mouth, though he still wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I’m sorry. I let my own selfishness get the better of me, and because of that, you ended up giving your heart to someone who didn’t want it at all. Aside from compensating you generously, I don’t know what else I can offer to make this right. But if there’s anything more you want, tell me—I’ll do whatever I can.”

As Cole spoke, Elliana kept her eyes on him, studying him in silence. The words coming out of his mouth were distant and unfeeling, each one colder than the last, yet his face told a different story—one etched with grief and a sorrow he couldn’t quite hide. Anyone watching could see the depth of his love, yet he seemed just as determined to drive her away.

Somewhere in her heart, Elliana knew that the torment of Psychephrenia had left invisible wounds on Cole’s spirit. Even the strongest men sometimes ran from the pain they couldn’t defeat. Maybe that was the real reason he had lingered in a coma earlier—not because his body was weak, but because he dreaded facing his own mind.

A dull ache settled in her chest, heavy and relentless. All she wanted was to reach out, pull him into her arms, and promise that she would remain by his side to help him face the illness. She wanted to confess that she was Milena—the one who might actually hold the key to his healing, someone who had studied Psychephrenia and believed it could be beaten. He didn’t have to endure the pain of pushing away the one he loved just to shield her from any danger he might inflict.

R3ad the r3zt at glnoνels.

Still, she held her tongue and chose to walk away without another word. She wanted him to see for himself the kind of woman she truly was—not through pleas or arguments, but through the quiet strength of her departure. If he truly wanted her in his life, he would have to come find her and ask her to return. Otherwise, if a similar situation arose in the future, he’d still shut her out just as easily, without so much as an explanation. And she refused to accept a love that made her feel so disposable.

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