The End of a Marriage (Colette and Matheo) novel Chapter 206

Chapter 206

CHAPTER 11

Graham’s face was still hard, but there was something else now–

something darker, sadder. He shook his head slowly, as though trying

to process the absurdity of her words.

س

Even saying the words felt like a knife twisting in Isla’s chest, the

pain sharp and unrelenting. It wasn’t just her head that hurt–it was

something deeper, lodged where her pride and her heart lived. That

night when she left home, she hadn’t just abandoned Thornfield

Manor; she’d abandoned a truth so raw, so shameful, she couldn’t

.even admit it to herself. Until now.

The truth was that she wanted Graham Lancaster.

She wanted him for herself. To be the woman he looked at the way

men looked at their hearts‘ desire. To be in his arms, pressed against

the solid strength of him, kissed and held as though she mattered-

truly mattered. Even to be in his bed, if only for a single night, just

once, to know what it felt like to be his. Her much older step–brother,

Her protector. Her tormentor.

What kind of wretched girl was she to dream such things?

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Chapter 206

The shame of it burned through her veins, and for weeks she’d done everything she could to bury it–to forget the way his voice made her shiver, the way his hands, large and capable, sometimes rested on her shoulder for a fleeting second too long, sparking something inside her she couldn’t explain. The life she’d chosen since–scrubbing

dishes until her fingers bled, cooking until the heat made her faint,

sleeping on damp, cold floors–had stripped her bare. Poverty had a

cruel way of exposing truths, wrenching them from you when you

were too weak to resist. It tore away every pretense, every distraction,

until all that was left was her. Alone, small, and achingly honest.

And the truth was, she wasn’t just afraid of being a burden.

She was afraid of what she wanted. Afraid of him.

Across the room, Graham watched her with narrowed eyes, his jaw

tight, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. It was as though he

could sense her unraveling.

Isla’s sobs came suddenly, wracking her body with such intensity that

the sound itself felt foreign to her. It was a deep, mewling cry, the

kind that slipped from her mouth unbidden, and she hated it. She

hated how vulnerable she felt, how the tears flowed without warning.

She felt small, like a child again, exposed in a way she couldn’t

control.

“Isla? Isla?” His voice was soft, full of concern. He reached for her,

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Chapter 206

pulling her close, his arms enveloping her like a protective barrier.

She could feel the warmth of his chest against her cheek, the steady

beat of his heart as he held her, and for a moment, she felt as though

she might find solace there. But it was fleeting.

“No,” she suddenly cried out, the words choking her, raw with grief.

“No, it’s not okay!” Her voice cracked, and she clutched at his shirt in

desperation. “My father is dead. My maa has been gone for years. I

have no one left. No family. Nothing. I’m a proper orphan now. And

orphans… orphans belong nowhere!” The words tumbled from her

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