CHAPTER 24

The air in the cabin felt thick, suffocating. The words hung in the room, lingering like smoke. Jasper was the one who told my uncle about the pregnancy.

I turned to Julian, my breath coming in sharp bursts. "What did you just say?"

Julian's eyes were wide, haunted, his voice strained. "Skylar, I. I didn't know how to protect you. I thought if he knew about the pregnancy, he might leave you alone. But I was wrong. I should have never-

"Never what?" I interrupted, anger boiling over inside me. "You should've never done that, Julian! You should've never put my life in his hands like that. You should have trusted me! You've been lying to me this whole time."

"I didn't want to," Julian pleaded, his voice breaking. "I didn't want to betray you. But I had to make a choice, and I thought. I thought if I could keep him from hurting you, it would be worth it."