Roman lifted the lid. Nestled inside the faded velvet lining lay a deep red ruby pendant. Even under the bedroom’s warm lighting, the gemstone seemed to trap every strand of light, glowing like a dying ember hidden beneath ash.

Everything inside him stopped. He reached toward it almost unconsciously, his fingertips brushing across the cold surface before lifting it from the box.

“No.”

The faint smile on his face vanished. ‘It couldn’t be. It wasn’t possible.’ Roman remained rooted to the spot. The pendant suspended between his fingers as countless memories crashed through his mind. Every choice he had made. Every secret he had buried. Everything he had convinced himself...