Chapter 1510:

His words struck Caitlin unexpectedly, leaving an ufortable weight in her chest. Her throat tightened as she looked up at him, her eyes ssy with unshed tears. “You… You don’t still have feelings for her, do you?”

yton’s brow furrowed slightly, a flicker of hurt passing through his gaze as he looked at Caitlin. “Why would you think that? Do you really believe I’m with you just because you look like Kallie?” Caitlin didn’t answer. The doubt had always been there, buried, gnawing at the edges of her mind, but she had never dared to voice it. She had convinced herself that yton’s asional coldness stemmed from his lingering engagement with Beth. That exnation had been easier to ept. But if he admitted that she was nothing more than a stand-in for Kallie—that his affection was rooted in resemnce rather than reality—it would shatter herpletely. She couldn’t bear it, so she had never dared to ask.

yton released her, and the loss of his warmth sent a chill through her. But instead of speaking, she simply clenched her fists, willing herself to stayposed.

Then, his voice rang out, low and warm near her ear. “It’s my fault too. I never tried to hide my past with Kallie from you. But if I truly thought of you as her stand-in, I would’ve acted on it long ago. I admit, at first, it was your resemnce to her—the face, the familiar spark—that drew me in. But then I saw you, Caitlin, not Kallie. You’re your own person, and I fell for you. Don’t you want to trust me a little more? I swear, my feelings now have nothing to do with Kallie. But if you still don’t believe me—if you can’t ept it—I can leave.”

The word “leave” jolted Caitlin out of her daze, and panic red within her. Ignoring the dull throb of her wounds, she rushed to him, her arms locking around him in a desperate embrace. “yton,” her voice quivered, tears brimming and spilling over. “I was just afraid. But now that you’ve said it, I’m not anymore. But there’s something I need to tell you too.”

She swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his eyes. “That night—I was drugged. Someone tried to rape me. I’m sure it was connected to Kallie. You know me. I’d never make such an usation if I wasn’t certain. The question is, will you believe me? If ites down to a choice, will you stand with her or with me?”

Her gaze was unwavering, with a fierce glint beneath the tears. yton’s expression shifted from seeming disbelief to a sharp, troubled understanding. “Was it really her?”

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Caitlin nodded, forcing herself to hold his gaze. “I have no reason to lie, yton. I overheard it. And it happened on Kallie and Jake’s territory—who else could have orchestrated it? Maybe this was her way of punishing me for not falling in line—for staying by Beth’s side and causing her embarrassment.”

Caitlin exhaled shakily and shut her eyes, bracing for his reaction. A long silence stretched between them. Then, yton sighed. Warm arms wrapped around Caitlin again, steady and reassuring. “If that’s true, I won’t let it go unanswered,” he murmured. “Even if it’s Kallie, I won’t let her hurt you.”

Something inside Caitlin cracked. The weight in her chest eased just enough for the tears to slip free. yton held her as she cried, his hand trailing soothing circles along her back.

Eventually, when it was time to part ways, he pulled back slightly. “You need to be prepared, Caitlin. The Morgans and the Fletchers… they’re deeply tied together. My engagement to Beth isn’t something I can walk away from overnight. Giving you a rightful ce by my side takes time. But I’ve thought of a way. What if I arrange for you to work as my assistant? That way, we can be together every day, and I can protect you.”

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Message from Noah: Hi dear readers, I hope you enjoyed the chapters! From now on, new chapters will be released every Tuesday and Friday. Also, four new novels will beunched each week. God loves you and Noah wishes you all the best. (? ?? ? – ? ) ?

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