Chapter 186: Insecurity
The sun had barely crept over the horizon when the courier arrived, bearing a single envelope sealed with Riven’s paw print. Ronan found it adorable. He sent a letter just before he came over? He frowned, was it bad news? Because why else-
Ronan had been up already, as always, reviewing schedules and reports with an empty kind of focus. But the moment he saw that handwriting—delicate but decisive—his hands froze.
He reached out and took the letter with more force than necessary. His heart pounded as he broke the seal and unfolded the parchment.
As he read through the letter, the frown deepened. He felt pain in his heart. He did not know what to think of it.
"I understand this is sudden, but I need to handle something alone. If it were possible to involve you, I would. But this is something I must do on my own."
The words blurred before Ronan’s eyes. His fingers clenched the letter as his throat tightened. He re-read it slowly, hoping that he had misunderstood, that somewhere between the lines was an indication that Riven would still come. That he’d changed his mind. That this was a joke.
But no. It was real. Final.
Ronan sat down heavily, the parchment still clutched in his hand. He had been anticipating this week with quiet hope, secretly counting the days. Riven had been distant lately—still charming, still playful, but somehow never quite... There.
And Ronan had convinced himself it was just timing, that this visit would smooth things over. That maybe, just maybe, they could talk. Maybe he could finally say what he meant to say.