He let out a small breath, running a hand through his hair. “Grandma’s stable. No serious damage. The doctors said it was just a reaction to her medication.”
Still, I stayed silent.
“Aria.” His tone sharpened. “I need you to do something. For Grandma. For us.”
I finally looked at him. “What is it?”
“Apologize,” he said without hesitation. “To Mira. To Grandma. For everything that happened.”
A laugh slipped out of me, broken and sharp. “Apologize?”
“Yes.” He stepped closer. “Grandma still wants the wedding. She still believes in you… for reasons I honestly don’t understand.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “So you’re going to say sorry to Mira for how you acted. You’re going to apologize to Grandma for the stress you caused. And you’re going to fix yourself.”
Every word felt like pressure on an open wound.
“And if I refuse?” I asked quietly.
His lips curved faintly. Not warmth—something colder. “Then you lose everything. The wedding. The support. The life you’ve been holding onto.”
I stared at him for a long moment, at the man who no longer felt like the person I once knew.
“Okay,” I said at last.
He blinked, clearly not expecting it. “Okay?”