Chapter 86

Caden’s POV The room froze as Lila’s voice cut through the tension. Her tone was soft, yet it carried the weight of a command that made both Ronan and me pause mid-breath. I turned toward her, and Ronan did the same. It was almost comical, the way we both stopped as if she had snapped a leash around our necks. “Are you alright?” we asked in unison, our voices overlapping in a strange harmony of concern. The irony wasn’t lost on me—two men who were moments away from tearing each other apart, now united in worry for the same woman. She shook her head, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “How can I be alright? When the two men I love most are about to rip each other apart because of me?” The air thickened with her words. My chest tightened at her declaration, but it wasn’t the time to dwell on the warmth spreading through me at hearing her say she loved me. I glanced at Ronan, whose frown deepened, his jaw working as if to chew through the situation. “Lila…” I began, stepping closer, but