I reached out, placing a hand over his trembling one on the steering wheel. His grip loosened slightly under my touch, though his gaze remained fixed on the road. "Axel," I said softly, my voice steady despite the turmoil in my chest. "I'm sorry you've had to carry all that alone. But you need to understand something—I'm not you. I'm not going to let anyone's opinion of me define who I am or what I do."
His jaw tightened as he glanced at me briefly, his eyes shadowed with pain. "You don't know how vicious people can be, Cora. They'll tear you apart just for being close to me. The rumors, the assumptions—it doesn't stop. I've seen it happen, and I can't…" He paused, his voice cracking. "I can't watch it happen to you."
