Frederick's eyes were sharp, his posture taut with a mix of defiance and disbelief. He had always valued honesty above everything else, and he had never doubted that Franklin would do the same. That made this revelation cut deeper than he expected.
"You've been seeing a woman and you didn't tell me?" Frederick's voice was calm, but the sting of betrayal lingered beneath each word.
Franklin ran a hand through his hair, a faint crease forming between his brows. "It depends on how you define it. Unlike you and Sienna, your relationship is straightforward. Mine isn't. She isn't like anyone else, Frederick. In fact, she has refused to marry me."
Frederick blinked, as if the words didn't quite register. "Refused you? Which woman in her right mind would have the audacity to reject Fran
