Chapter 143

  Louisa's POV

  Lucas' cold voice floated in the air.

  I saw thousands of snowflakes swirling in the cold north wind in his eyes.

  At that very moment, I realized that he wasn't the one that I'd been waiting for all these years.

  "Lucas," I said in a low, quiet voice, "Do you want me to accept your rejection?"

  "No," he said decisively. "I want you to stay with me and love me unconditionally."

  I looked at him.

  Slow as the winter snow, the tears drifted from my eyes.

  I took off the Ring from my neck and put it aside, so he could feel what kind of pain I was going through.

  "Even though it hurts me like this?" I wept silently, feeling a thousand knives stabbing into my chest.

  Lucas sighed, picked up the Ring, and put it back on my neck.