He watched her intently, his heart aching. Her silence was deafening, her vulnerability striking. Bound in chains, she possessed a quiet strength that captivated him. He longed to understand her actions, her abandonment, the weight of her past. His possessiveness warred with his wounded heart, his bravado a fragile mask concealing his pain. “Why…? Even now, you leave an impression, don’t you, love?” he asked, his voice low.