When the Hidden Luna Rises novel Chapter 47

**Chained by Fate**
**Eliza Rowan**

**Chapter 23**

Tessa’s icy stare bore into Ryan and Audrey, an impenetrable wall of coldness that extinguished any remnants of warmth or joy on her face. In a heartbeat, her previous smile vanished, leaving behind a mask of indifference.

“What do you want from me?” she demanded, her voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of bitterness.

As she shifted her gaze between the two, it felt as if she were looking at complete strangers—two people who had once held significant places in her heart but now seemed utterly foreign.

Ryan felt the air freeze around him the instant their eyes locked. It was as if time had stopped, and he was struck by how Tessa had transformed during her absence—her beauty had deepened, her demeanor sharpened.

He stood there, rooted to the spot, words stuck in his throat, until he finally managed to whisper, “I’m sorry.”

But those words, which had once held the potential for reconciliation, now felt like a dagger to Tessa’s heart. She had no desire to hear his apologies; all she craved was a life devoid of turmoil and conflict.

Nothing more.

His contrition was akin to reopening a festering wound, forcing her to confront the pain of the past once again.

Her expression remained frozen, her eyes devoid of warmth as she regarded him with an unyielding stare.

“You don’t have to apologize. I don’t want to hear it,” she replied, her tone resolute.

Ryan, despite the heavy weight of her rejection, couldn’t help but step closer, reaching out to grasp her hand. In his mind, he foolishly believed that a few heartfelt words could bridge the chasm that had grown between them.

“Please come back… I really miss you,” he pleaded, desperation creeping into his voice.

“I’ve been searching for you for so long…”

“And Chloe and I, we’ve—”

But Tessa’s heart was unmoved by his plight. Frustrated, she wrenched her hand from his grasp, her patience wearing thin.

“Can you stop? What does any of this have to do with me?” she snapped, her voice sharp and unyielding.

This was a side of Tessa Ryan had never witnessed before—impatient, distant, and cold. It struck him like a physical blow, piercing his heart anew.

With his eyes glistening with unshed tears, he gazed at her, yearning for even a hint of the comfort she once provided.

Yet, deep down, he recognized the futility of his longing.

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