Chapter 43 Decision

Alicia Davenport "Because I owe you the truth." The words left my mouth before I could stop them. Daniel’s eyes bore into mine, a mixture of confusion and seriousness swirling within them. I could tell he was trying to piece things together, to make sense of the reality I had just presented. "What does that mean?" he asked, his voice quiet but firm. I took a deep breath, glancing toward the lake in front of us. The water was calm, undisturbed—so unlike the chaos swirling inside my chest. "It means that the marriage between Nicholas and me is nothing more than a business arrangement," I admitted, my voice steady despite the way my heart pounded. "There are no feelings involved. We made a deal, and I have to keep my part of it." Daniel frowned, his brows knitting together as he processed my words. "What kind of business deal?" he questioned, his tone sharper now, edged with something that almost sounded like disbelief. I hesitated. Should I really tell him everything? But I had