Nathaniel stared at her, speechless. He had been trying to confess his mistakes, to explain his regrets, not accuse her of anything. Why was everything coming out so wrong?
"I'm not blaming you," he insisted softly but urgently. "Yes, I'm upset with Nora. She shouldn't have lied. She should've told me the truth. But I can't hold anger toward someone who has gone. She gave me a beautiful life while she lived. She gave me a son. How could I hate her? Still… learning the truth hurt. I can't pretend it didn't."
He drew a shaky breath. "We have been through so much already—misunderstandings, fights, danger… what has not happened? But somehow, we are still standing together. That's what matters. Let's leave the bitterness behind, Zara. Let's begin again."
