The past experiences made it difficult for her to trust someone unconditionally again. Rebuilding trust was never an easy task.
But his attentiveness, shown in the smallest details of daily life recently, had undeniably moved her.
Her current emotions were a mix of fear and the irresistible urge to lean closer.
Were it not for that subtle stirring in her heart, she would've never let him act so freely in the tent just now.
Clara Knox knew all too well that he was to her like a beautiful poppy flower—dangerous yet alluring.
She had never completely escaped the shadow of that past relationship. Even after letting go of everything and starting anew, the seemingly carefree Clara would still wake up in the middle of the night, struggling to breathe as the reality of their separation hit her.
To part ways with a man she'd loved for so long—it felt like peeling off a layer of skin.
Edward Harper answered with certainty,
"I can."
Clara Knox slowly let the tension in her heart ease.