“It’s going to be a circus,” Sophie said, staring into her paper cup. “A Masquerade Ball. Live TV. He’s treating our engagement like a season finale.”
Dr. Lucas Hale sat across from her in the clinic exam room, listening patiently. He didn’t offer platitudes. He didn’t tell her it would be fine. He watched the way her hands trembled.
“He called me ‘difficult’ because I wanted a dinner,” Sophie admitted, a tear slipping down her cheek. “I feel like… I feel like I owe him this. He saved my father. He gave me a home.”
Lucas leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His dark eyes were serious.
“Sophie,” he said gently. “I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest.”
Sophie looked up.
“Do you actually love him?” Lucas asked. “Or do you just feel like you owe him?”
The room went silent. Sophie opened her mouth to say “of course I love him,” but the words stuck in her throat. She thought of William’s manic energy, the way he looked *through* her, and the crushing weight of the debt. She looked at Lucas, so steady and real, and realized she didn’t have an answer.