Chapter 162 162

Chapter 162 162
EMILY

"What the hell did you do?"

Morgan's voice cut through the silence the second she reached me, but I couldn't answer her immediately. My throat had tightened so badly that speaking felt impossible, and I quickly wiped the tears from my cheeks before they could fall again.

"I..." I let out a shaky breath and looked down at my trembling hands. "I don't know."

Morgan stared at me for a long moment, as though she was trying to decide whether to hug me or shake some sense into me.

"What do you want, Emily?" she asked, her voice softer now but no less firm. "What exactly do you want?"

I frowned.

"What kind of question is that?"

"The kind you need to answer." She folded her arms across her chest. "That man has done everything he possibly can to make things right. He's admitted he was wrong. He found out the truth. He rebuilt your bakery without expecting anything in return, and when you told him to leave your life, he respected your decision even though it was killing him. What else is he supposed to do?"

I looked away because hearing those words aloud only made the ache in my chest worse.

"Morgan..."

"No, Emily. Answer me."

I let out a frustrated laugh.

"What do you expect me to do?" I snapped. "Run back into his arms because he rebuilt my bakery? Pretend none of this happened? Forget that his mother stole my life before I even had the chance to live it?"

She didn't interrupt.

"My family was taken from me the day I was born," I continued, my voice growing louder with every word. She switched me at birth. She robbed me of growing up with my real parents. She stole years that I can never get back, Morgan. Do you honestly expect me to wake up one morning and act like that isn't enough to destroy someone?"

Morgan's expression softened for only a moment before hardening again.

"Do you think I've forgotten what she did to you?"

I remained silent.

"I haven't," she continued. "I'll never defend Cecilia. Never. What she did was cruel, selfish, and unforgivable."

"Then why are you standing here making me feel guilty?"

"Because Ryan isn't Cecilia."

I laughed bitterly.

"He's her son."

"Yes," Morgan replied calmly, "and he spent years paying for sins he didn't even know she'd committed."

My jaw tightened.

"He still hurt me."

"But tell me something," she said quietly. "How many more times is he supposed to pay for that mistake?"

I stared at her.

"This whole back and forth between the two of you started because of misunderstandings, lies, and people constantly pulling you apart. The divorce happened because of you and your ex-boss. The years apart happened because of you trying to prove whatever. Even now, every step he takes toward you gets met with another reason to stay away."

She sighed heavily.

"You can't even give the poor man a break."

Anger flared inside me.

"So... I'm the bad guy now?" I asked, unable to keep the hurt out of my voice.

Morgan sighed, rubbing a hand across her forehead before looking at me again.

"I didn't say that."

"You practically did."

"No, Emily." She took a step closer, her expression softening. "I'm saying you've become so focused on protecting yourself that you can't see the man standing in front of you anymore."

I let out a bitter laugh and shook my head.

"You don't understand."

A sad smile crossed her face.

"I understand more than you think."

She held my gaze for a few seconds before speaking again, her voice quieter this time.

"Can I ask you something, and I need you to answer honestly?"

I hesitated before giving the smallest nod.

"If Ryan had known all of this years ago... if he'd found out what his mother had done and stood beside you instead of questioning you... would you still be walking away from him today?"

The question hit me so hard that it knocked every prepared answer right out of my head.

I opened my mouth.

Nothing came out.

Because the truth was already there, staring back at me.

No.

Morgan didn't need me to say it.

She saw the answer written all over my face.

"I thought so," she whispered.

I looked away, blinking rapidly as tears blurred my vision all over again.

"It isn't that simple."

"I know it isn't."

She said after a long silence. "Every time you look at Ryan, you remember everything his mother took from you... but every time Ryan looks at you, all he sees is the woman he failed to protect."

I closed my eyes.

Those words settled heavily inside my chest.

"He knows that now, Emily. That's why he rebuilt your bakery. That's why he didn't argue when you asked him to leave. That's why he walked away even though it was obvious it was breaking him."

I swallowed hard, fighting the lump forming in my throat.

"I'm not saying you have to forgive him today," Morgan continued gently. "I'm not even saying you have to take him back."

She paused before adding quietly,

"But don't confuse protecting your heart with punishing his."

The words lingered between us long after she'd finished speaking.

Neither of us said anything.

The sounds of the construction workers drifted through the air, filling the silence while I stood there trying to make sense of emotions I could no longer separate.

Finally, Morgan let out a tired sigh.

"I love you, Em."

I looked at her.

"You know I do."

I nodded.

"And because I love you, I want you to be happy. I also want Ryan to stop looking like a man who's carrying the weight of the entire world on his shoulders." She glanced toward the road where his truck had disappeared only minutes earlier before looking back at me. "Right now, all I see are two people who still love each other but are so terrified of getting hurt again that they'd rather live with the pain of being apart than risk trying one more time."

I couldn't bring myself to answer.

There was nothing left to say.

Morgan gave me one last look before turning away.

She walked over to where Zara sat happily eating biscuits with one of the workers, completely unaware of the emotional war taking place around her.

Morgan smiled at her before calling back over her shoulder.

"I'm taking Zara home with me. You don't need to worry about her."

I remained silent.

"When you've finally sorted through everything going on in that beautiful but stubborn head of yours," she added with a small smile, "you know exactly where to find us."