Lina's POV
I wasn't surprised to see Taylor waiting for me outside the elevator. His face was drawn, his eyes heavy with worry.
He stepped in after me, and the doors slid shut.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then his voice came, rough and strained. "Lina... don't blame the Adrian. He didn't have a choice. Any man in his position would—"
"Would what?" I interrupted, my tone sharper than I intended. "Would push away the woman he loves because he's too afraid to let her see him broken?"
Taylor froze.
I took a breath, forcing myself to soften. "If it were me—if my body failed me, if I lost something I thought defined me—I'd be scared too. I'd wonder if I was still worthy of being loved. And maybe... maybe I'd try to push him away too."
Taylor's eyes widened. He lo
