BESTIAN'S POV 

As I stood there, my heart still racing from the emotions that had been building up inside me, I waited with bated breath for Ciara's response. I had poured my heart out to her, asking her to be mine, and I was desperate to know if she felt the same way.

But as I looked into her eyes, I saw a flicker of sadness and regret. And then, she spoke the words that would shatter my heart into a million pieces.

"I'm sorry. It can't work."

My heart sank, plummeting down into the depths of my stomach like a stone. I felt like I had been punched in...