Chapter 7 - THE UNBREAKABLE BONDThe silence in the bridal suite felt heavy enough to crush bone.
All those months, while my staff whispered vicious gossip about her character, while people judged her for sending her money away, and while she endured humiliation with quiet grace—she had been bleeding herself dry to keep her orphaned siblings together.
She hadn't hidden a scandal. She had hidden a saint's sacrifice.
"You thought I was scandalous," Emily whispered, pulling the lace strap of her nightgown back over her shoulder, trying to hide the ruined skin. "You thought I was running from a ruined life. Now you know the truth. You can still annul this marriage, Johnny. No one in your world has to know."
I didn't answer with words.
Instead, I reached out, my hands steady and deliberate, and gently pulled the lace back down. I leaned forward and pressed my lips directly against the jagged, purple ridges of her scarred shoulder, holding her close against my chest.
May you like
Emily gasped, her body locking up in shock before she melted into my arms, sobbing tears she had held back for six long years.
"You didn't hide a scandal, Emily," I murmured against her skin. "You hid a heroism most people couldn't match in a lifetime."
