She Walked Away With His Twins While He Begged the Ground She Walked On novel Chapter 600

"I... I'm in love with you!"

Quinn looked down at the star and moon pendant he offered. She lowered her eyelashes, struggling to find the words that would minimize his pain.

She pressed her lips together. There was no pity in her eyes.

She knew from experience that rejecting someone with eyes full of pity was a unique, invisible kind of cruelty to the person confessing.

It was better to be direct and honest. "Ethan, back at the restaurant, I... I knew what you were trying to say. But when I pushed the box away, I hoped you understood my answer.

"Right now, my only priority is raising Caleb and Luna. I have absolutely no desire to jump into a new relationship this quickly."

The bright hope in Ethan's eyes slowly dimmed, a raw ache bleeding into his voice.

"Quinn... why not?"

"You're a free woman now. You have every right to chase your own happiness."

Quinn had always viewed him as a close friend. She didn't want to drag him down.

"Ethan, you need to find someone better. I'm not the right person for you."

Ethan gripped both of her shoulders, his breathing turning ragged. "Quinn, the woman I want is you!

"If you're hesitating because of the kids, you don't need to worry. I adore them, and they adore me."

Terrified she would reject him again, he pressed on urgently,

"Do you remember when you were little, sitting in a pavilion in your neighborhood, and you shared a piece of mango cake with a boy?"

"Do you remember Isabella?"

"Do you remember the boy named Ethan?"

Those questions fell like heavy raindrops, striking a hidden chord deep in Quinn's memory.

Something clicked. She scoured her hazy childhood memories, and a faint image of an 'Aunt Isabella' surfaced.

"Alastair Sterling hid his true identity and deceived my mother into getting pregnant. But when it came time for him to secure a corporate marriage, he abandoned her. It wasn't until he realized his other child, Sienna, was his only heir that he suddenly remembered my mother. He had people track her down, but by the time they found me, my mother had already passed away.

"He forcibly dragged me back to the Sterling family. When I refused to stay in a house that wasn't mine, he had me shipped off abroad."

Quinn had no idea Ethan harbored such a tragic past. Her heart twisted painfully with deep sympathy.

She had only ever seen his gentle, composed exterior, entirely unaware of the heartbreaking history buried beneath that mild demeanor.

And she hadn't realized that a tiny act of kindness from her childhood had anchored him for so many years.

Quinn offered soft comfort. "Ethan, that's all in the past now. You've grown into an incredible man. Isabella would be so proud if she could see you.

"Yara and I consider you family. We will always welcome you, and the kids have always adored you."

"Is it really just about welcoming and adoring? Quinn, I love you. I want to be your boyfriend. I want to be a real daddy to Caleb and Luna."

Ethan's heart felt hollowed out. A deep, desolate sorrow settled between his brows, radiating a quiet, crushing melancholy.