Luke had always possessed a habit of chasing after things that felt difficult to obtain.
The same applied to Roxanne.
He never truly had a crush on her.
What initially drew his attention was her situation.
As the chief's mate, Roxanne carried a role that demanded perfection at all times. Every action, every word, every expression had to meet expectations no ordinary person could endure.
And despite everything she did for the village and her family, she received barely any genuine appreciation in return.
Worse still, the one man who should have stood firmly beside her had neglected her instead.
Yes, Luke found her attractive.
But attraction alone was never the reason he approached her in the beginning.
It was sympathy.
Sympathy for a woman trapped beneath endless expectations while quietly enduring loneliness.
However, his opinion of her gradually changed.
The moment she abandoned him to stand by her mate's side and completely cut off contact, something within him cooled.
