When They Beg I Rise (Lemira) novel Chapter 1053

Hearing this, Lucian patted Rowan on the shoulder. "Well, obviously. That goes without saying."

"No, you don't understand. My intentions are not the same as yours."

Rowan's reaction was sudden and intense, a flash of volatility breaking through his calm demeanor.

Lucian looked at him suspiciously. "What's going on with you, Rowan? Are you hiding something from us?"

Rowan quickly composed himself. "It's nothing."

He slipped effortlessly back into the quiet, brooding persona they were used to.

But Lucian pressed on. "When Lemmy was injured and you were treating her, I heard she woke up halfway through the procedure. When she saw it was you, she was so terrified she scrambled backward and fell right off the operating table."

A visible crack formed in Rowan's stoic facade.

Lucian didn't let up. "Why was she so absolutely petrified of you in that moment? Did you do something to her in the past without us knowing?"

"I didn't."

Rowan's voice came out far too loud. Realizing he had overreacted, he forced a steady breath and lowered his tone. "You all know I only started studying medicine after I moved to The Aether Research Facility. I've been away for years. When exactly would I have had the chance to hurt her?"

Caspian nodded in agreement. "That's true. We can all vouch for that."

Lucian kept his eyes fixed on Rowan. "Then why was Lemmy so scared? Have you ever asked her?"

Rowan's throat bobbed. How could he possibly dare to ask her that?

It was precisely in that terrible moment that a horrifying realization had begun to take root in his mind.

Caspian chimed in, "Orion Everhart whisked her away right after that. When would we have even gotten a chance to ask her privately? She refuses to come home, she won't text us, and she treats us like total strangers."

Every time Caspian walked through the halls of the Langston Estate and saw Lemira's empty bedroom, a crushing weight of guilt settled in his chest.

But knowing how horribly he had treated her in the past, he was far too ashamed to demand anything from her now.

Lucian fell silent. He wasn't the only one burdened by those same regrets.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify