Viona's POV
My whole body almost trembled as I held Rafael tightly, desperately trying to keep him from pulling away. I wanted him to feel safe, to return my embrace, to let himself fall apart inside my arms.
I was sure my affection could slowly make Rafael believe that his identity was not defined by his parents.
Yeah. I was sure of that.
But against everything I wanted, Rafael forcefully tore my arms away from his waist.
He immediately turned around, grabbed both of my arms tightly, and yanked me closer to him like he wanted me to see more clearly the horrifying state he was in right now.
"Love…?"
His voice trembled as tears finally started falling down his face. From how red and shaky his jaw looked, I knew he had been holding those tears back this whole time.
"Love…?" He let out a brittle laugh, his devastated eyes locking onto mine. "Just a while ago, I found out my parents destroyed their lives because of what they called love."
