The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 1048

It was the exact kind of trust Ethan had once desperately hoped she would give to him.

A bitter, hollow ache spread through his chest. He forced himself to listen as Leilani continued.

"Callahan... he only came because he was terrified for my safety," she explained quietly. "If he hadn't been with me, I might not have..."

Leilani rarely opened up about her private struggles, so she shook her head, leaving the grim hypothetical unfinished. But her point was crystal clear.

"So you're really misjudging him."

She took all the blame onto herself, and in her mind, it was simply the truth. Callahan had thrown himself into hell purely to keep her safe. Over and over again, he had put himself in the line of fire to protect her.

Ethan stared at her for a long moment, processing the unwavering defense she had thrown up for the other man. He shot a quick glance at Callahan.

Callahan's usually icy demeanor had noticeably thawed. Hearing Leilani defend him so fiercely had smoothed the hard edges of his expression.

Standing side by side, they looked completely in sync. A united front. Two people deeply in love.

Seeing her so aggressively protective of Callahan felt like a bucket of ice water being dumped over Ethan's head. The flare of anger—born out of helplessness and fear—sizzled out instantly. All that remained was a damp, miserable ash settling over his heart.

He forced a stiff, slightly self-deprecating smile.

"Is that right?"

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