Penelope's POV

"Rejecting you was the worst thing I've ever done." His voice cracks slightly, raw with emotion. "Every day since then has been torture. Not just because of the bond damage, but because I knew what I threw away. I knew I chose wrong and couldn't figure out how to fix it."

"So you married Sophia instead," I say, unable to keep the bitterness from seeping into my words.

"My father arranged it." Timothy finally looks at me again, and the pain in his eyes is almost enough to make me ...