Chapter 123: Undefined feelings

Selen was trying to force herself into a stable relationship with Newton, trying to insulate her family from the Avelino chaos, but her actions spoke louder than any words she said.

To Newton, it was now entirely clear that he was a safety net, while Clancy was still the source of her deepest unresolved emotions.

When Selen finally returned to the study after her completely unproductive talk with Clancy, the entire atmosphere in the room had shifted.

The heavy, intoxicating heat from before was completely gone, replaced by a cold, heavy awkwardness. She walked in slowly, her posture deflated, her clothes slightly askew, and her expression clouded with absolute confusion.

Newton looked up at her from his seat on the couch. He was no longer in the mood to continue their heavy make-out session, and his long gone boner was the least of his concerns.

He did not offer her a warm smile, and he did not reach out to pull her back into his lap. His gentle, loving demeanor was completely guarded now, replaced by a quiet, firm need for absolute clarity.

He was not angry or shouting, he was just a calm guy facing a reality he could no longer ignore. "Selen," Newton said, his voice steady, measured, and completely devoid of any drama. "We need to talk. Sit down." He said.

Selen took her seat slowly on the opposite end of the couch, looking at him with a soft, miserable expression.

Newton looked her directly in the eye, asking the one question that would define the rest of their trip. "How do you actually feel for Clancy? Because the moment he walked out that door, you left me here without a single thought just to run after him. I need to know the truth, Selen. Are you actually with me, or are you just hiding from him?" He asked her.

Selen stood at the center of the emotional wreckage, looking at the man who loved her calmly and unconditionally. She opened and closed her mouth, completely unable to utter a single word.

The quietness of the room grew heavier as Selen remained completely silent, her gaze dropped down to the floorboards. She tried to locate a single piece of her standard composure, but her layout was entirely fractured.

She could not tell Newton that running after Clancy meant nothing, because they both knew it meant everything in that moment.

Newton did not push her further or demand a frantic explanation. He simply stood up from the couch slowly, adjusting his shirt cuffs with a calm, deliberate precision that showed exactly how grounded he was, even in the middle of a complete relationship breakdown.

He looked down at her with a gentle, sad focus, his decision already entirely finalized in his own mind. "You do not need to answer," Newton said softly, his voice steady and completely free of resentment.

"Your silence is all the answer that I need, Selen. I came down here to Kent because we both wanted to explore a new Chapter together, but you can not start a new Chapter when you are still completely holding onto the old one. It is not fair to me, and it certainly is not fair to what you are trying to build for your children." he said.

Selen looked up, her soft expression filled with deep regret. "Newton, please. I am trying to establish stability. I am trying to insulate my babies from the exact toxic constraints that ruined our family before. You are my stability." she said.

"I cannot be your shield against a man you still want to run after," Newton replied calmly, taking slow steps toward the door.

"I love you enough to be here for you, but I respect myself too much to sit on a couch and watch you stutter because another man asked you if our kiss carried the same weight as his. I am going to head to the guest module for tonight, and I will drive back to London first thing in the morning." He said to her,

Selen opened her mouth one last time, but she could not utter another word. He had heard her conversation with Clancy. What else could she say now?

She sat entirely alone as Newton quietly walked out of the room, his footsteps fading down the hallway until the entire room returned to a freezing, dead silence.

Her mind spun back to the foyer, back to Clancy’s heartbroken expression, and the realization that by trying to control every single piece of her life’s layout, she had lost absolutely everything in a single day.

Outside the main house, the cool air did little to calm the sharp, tight feeling in Clancy’s chest. He walked down the front steps, his strides fast and calculated.

He did not look back at the windows of the study. He reached his vehicle, opened the door and instructed his driver to leave the estate.

As they drove out toward the main gate, his mind repeatedly replayed the exact image of Selen and Newton together on the couch.

He had operated under the assumption that distance was their primary barrier. He had structured his entire return to England around the idea of securing a stable environment for his children, believing that if he fixed his family’s toxic footprint, Selen would slowly open the door.

He had never prepared himself for the reality of her moving on with someone else.

He gripped the hand rest tightly, his knuckles turning white. He thought about the triplets, about how much they had grown to love having him around during their new school routine earlier that week.

He thought about the grandparents’ meeting that had gone so perfectly under Selen’s supervision. Every single piece of their lives was finally aligning into a mature layout, yet the core connection between him and Selen was entirely shattered.

He realized he had pushed too hard, too late. He had stood in that hallway and given her an absolute ultimatum, offering to drop his career, his family’s legacy, and every corporate parameter just to be in her arms.

Her silence had been the definitive answer.

He had seen the complete speechlessness in her face, the way she stuttered and could not find a single logical justification for her actions as he accepted that some grudges were simply too heavy to ever move past.