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“I want a marriage, Mom—not a performance.”
She avoided my gaze, fiddling with her necklace. “I just don’t think you’ve thought it through.”
Every night, I thought about Rowan—about how he expanded my world instead of limiting it. There was never pity between us, only curiosity, warmth, and genuine care.
One evening before the wedding, he caught me absentmindedly tracing the edge of my veil.
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