Chapter 121 —The crack was growingNarrator:The house was silent. Sasha had locked herself in her room without finishing dinner, and Amalia, with her usual wisdom, asked no questions. Roman climbed the stairs slowly, dragging a guilt that did not come from what he said, but from not seeing it coming.When he opened the bedroom door, he didn't find her reading. She wasn't changing. She wasn't even sitting on the bed.Aylin was on the floor, next to the window, hugging her knees, her forehead resting against them. Her crying was restrained, but constant. There were no loud sobs, no words. Just tears falling without pause.Roman closed the door quietly. He approached without saying a word and crouched down in front of her. He didn't touch her right away. He just looked at her.“Aylin...”She barely lifted her face. Her eyes were red, her skin stained from crying.“I'm fine,” she murmured, her voice unconvincing.“You're not,” he said firmly, sitting down in front of her, legs crossed.He

Chapter 123 — I'm here to stayNarrator:Miranda arrived at the gallery unannounced. It wasn't the first time. She did it often, using the excuse of seeing Sasha or dropping off a book for school. That afternoon, she showed up with a small box and a discreet smile.Roman saw her as soon as she walked through the door. Dominic wasn't at the entrance. There was no one else there to stop her either.“Are you here to drop something off or pick something up?” he asked from the end of the hallway, without moving.“I just wanted to stop by for a moment,” she replied, holding up the box. “It's for Sasha. Some things he asked for. Nothing serious.”“Leave it at reception.”“I'd rather give it to you. If you don't mind.”Roman didn't answer. He walked toward her slowly, his hands in his pants pockets. There was no warmth in his gestures. Only a patience that was no longer courtesy.“That's enough, Miranda.”“Enough of what?”“Enough of the little game. Enough of the unannounced visits. Enough of

Chapter 125 — Love me without limits.Narrator:Aylin could still feel the tingling sensation on her skin where he had bitten, sucked, and licked her until her skin was hot and goosebumpy. She had the mark of his mouth on her chest... and the mark of his love on every inch of her body.Roman was still inside her, completely, as if that union were the only thing real in the world. And then he began to move again, slowly, deeply, deliberately.Each thrust was a whisper saying, “Don't go.” Each touch was a silent plea. Each hip thrust was a confession.He held her hips tightly, pulling her toward him as he thrust with controlled but devastating movements. The touch was exquisite and precise. All of him entered and exited with perfect cadence, bringing her back to the edge even though she thought she had no strength left.“Don't look at me like that,” he murmured against her mouth. “You're going to make me lose control again...”Aylin said nothing. She looked at him as if she couldn't beli

Chapter 127 —The TruthNarrator:The room was quiet. That tense, treacherous calm that precedes a storm.Sasha was sitting at her desk, turned toward the window, headphones on, lost in the teenage world she had built for herself so she wouldn't have to think too much. Roman stood by the door, watching her with a mixture of fear and guilt that weighed heavily on his chest. In his hand, he held the necklace she always left on the nightstand. He held it as if it could anchor the conversation he was about to have.“Sasha,” he said, without raising his voice, but firmly enough for her to hear him.The girl took off one earbud and looked at him without turning completely.“What's up?”“I need to talk to you. And it's important. Very important.”She sighed, turned down the music, and turned toward him. She saw that he was more tense than usual, paler, more serious. That was enough for her to sit up straight in her chair.“Is everything okay?”Roman walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

Chapter 129 —He wasn't looking for pleasure, he was looking for certainty, refuge, truthNarrator:Aylin didn't know how long they sat in the hallway. She only remembered Roman's weight against her body, his ragged breathing, his wet tears soaking her shirt. At some point, he stopped talking and just breathed, just trembled.When she felt the crying begin to subside, with the delicacy of someone moving an injured person, Aylin took his face in her hands, looked him in the eyes, and caressed his wet cheeks. Roman didn't resist. He didn't have the strength. He nodded silently when she asked him to stand up. He let himself be led like a lost child. They walked together to the bedroom. There were no words.Aylin made him sit on the edge of the bed. She took off his jacket, then his shoes, then his shirt. She undressed him without haste, with no other intention than to strip him of the weight that enveloped him. He did not protest. He just looked at her with empty, defeated eyes. As if he d