Chapter 57

Owen I sat on the bench, Aira’s words replaying in my head. She was right. Every word. I had lived my life thinking only of myself. I always thought I was doing the right thing—listening to my father, marrying Olivia, raising Osborne. Those were the right choices… for me. But what about everyone else? The ones I hurt along the way with my selfishness? I hurt Aira. And now, I’ve hurt my mate—the woman I came to truly love. The truth is, I hurt her long before this day. And now I learn of a child. My child. A daughter with Aira I never even knew existed. But how can I fault her? I left her. I didn’t even explain anything to her. No contact, no goodbye—just silence. I thought leaving her just like that was best. That ending things abruptly would help us both move on. I told myself I needed to keep my head clear, to carry the weight of responsibility my father piled onto me. But it wasn’t noble. It was selfish. The worst part? I rejected her through a letter. A letter. The most degrading t