Chapter 41: His precious little sunshine
A low chuckle escaped Lorenzo’s throat, thick with irony, making the already tense atmosphere even more awkward.
"You wanted me to stay away from you," he said, his voice steady. "...And I did."
Ashley fumbled with her fingers, avoiding his gaze. Guilt weighed heavily on her—she still regretted the harsh words she’d thrown at him that day, words fueled by anger, pain and frustration. She had spoken without thinking, driven purely by emotion.
And now she was here, seeking the very help she had once rejected. It made her feel foolish. Desperation had driven her, but even now, she couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that she’d willingly walked into the devil’s lair.
"I’m sorry for how I spoke to you... I shouldn’t have said those things," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Her heart raced as she waited for Lorenzo’s response. When he remained silent, she pressed on, "I was upset. I felt vulnerable."
It took everything in her to swallow her pride.
Lorenzo stilled. Of all the things he had expected from this meeting, an apology wasn’t one of them.
The truth was, he had never been angry at her—not really. If anything, he had been angry at himself. After prison, he should have searched for her, should have turned the world upside down to find her. But he hadn’t. He had been afraid. Afraid of what he might discover. Afraid that she had moved on.
He was tempted to tell her she had been right all along, especially about him being a selfish monster. But he held back.
Instead, he simply asked, "What brought you here?"