Chapter 9

The tension at the table was palpable. Marah's expression wavered for an instant, surprise and frustration flickering across her features before she regained her composure. My mother's hopeful smile faltered, replaced by a disappointed frown.

Marah's voice took on an almost desperate edge as she attempted to salvage the situation. "Damian, please, just give us a chance. I know we could make this work."

My annoyance was difficult to mask as I responded, my tone firm. "Marah, I have to follow my heart in matters like these. And right now, my heart is telling me that we are not meant to be together."

The atmosphere around the table had shifted, and not in the way Marah had hoped. The seductive glances and suggestive conversation had given way to a confrontation that neither of us seemed willing to back down from.

As breakfast continued, the topic of marriage was effectively abandoned, replaced by a heavy silence. Marah's once-confident demeanor had been replaced by a deflated posture, an