Love Rents A Room
Chapter 230: Throw Her In Fire

Chapter 230: Throw Her In Fire

Brianna’s voice shook now. This was not how she wanted to see the man she loved. "Then let me fix it. Say the word. I’ll talk to my father, Robby. My family will back you. We can take it back. You can have what’s yours."

He reached up, brushing a thumb across her cheek, wiping a tear she didn’t know had fallen. His hand lingered on her face like he didn’t want to let go.

"I love you," he said.

Her lips parted, breath catching.

"I’ve loved you since before I knew what love was," he continued. "And that’s exactly why I can’t do what you’re asking. I can’t build our future on a war with my grandfather."

She grabbed his hand, eyes pleading. "Then what am I supposed to do? Just watch as you get cast aside? Watch her take everything that should have been yours—ours?"

He didn’t answer.

She stared at him, her voice breaking. "You’re everything to me, Robby. I waited. All those years you buried yourself in your books and your goals, I waited. I turned down proposals, and I let everyone call me foolish. I believed in you. In us. And now you’re just walking away?"

He looked at her, pain clouding his features, but he didn’t move. Didn’t rush. Just watched her.

Then he kissed her.

Not in passion, but in reverence — like a man memorizing the shape of a goodbye he hoped wouldn’t be needed.

"I’m not letting go of you," he said quietly. His voice was rough with unshed emotion. "You think I don’t know what you gave up for me? I do. I know you loved me long before I even knew how to look up from a balance sheet. And I love you, Bri. Not as the heir. Not as some pawn in this damned family game. Just... as me."

She sniffled, her lip trembling. "Then why does this feel like a goodbye?"

"Because I can’t be the man who claws his way to power by turning against his grandfather. I won’t win this family by breaking it. If you want that version of me, the one who fights dirty for the crown, then I’m not who you think I am."

She shook her head, stepping toward him, heart in her throat. "Don’t make me choose..."

His gaze held hers, steady and quiet, full of love that was aching to be enough.

"I’m not," he whispered. "But I am asking you to see me. Just me. No title. No empire. No power."

He took her hand and pressed it to his chest.

"I want you, Bri. Whether I stand next to the throne or ten miles behind it... I want you. But I can’t force you to want the man without the crown."

He let go of her hand.

"I’ll be waiting. Wherever you choose to find me."

Then Robert turned and walked away — not in rejection, not in anger, but in hope.

And Brianna stood there in the quiet, trembling on the edge of a choice between the dream they built together and the title she never asked for, but deserved.

-----

Morning came, golden and expectant.

Jeffrey adjusted his tie and exhaled slowly, studying his reflection in the full-length mirror. His hazel eyes, steady and clear, flicked to the toy Joanne had given him the night before—a small, silly thing, but it had worked. He’d slept better than he had in days.

His heart, for once, felt calm.

"Cold feet?"

The familiar voice made him turn, smooth and unbothered. He carried himself with effortless poise now, the kind that came not from arrogance but quiet triumph. His eyes sparkled—not with nerves, but with joy. Pride. After all, he’d managed to win the heart of a woman like Joanne. That was no small feat.

"Liam," he greeted, surprised. "Didn’t expect you here. You’re on Jo’s side, remember?"

Liam smirked. "Doesn’t mean I don’t want to see how you’re holding up."

Jeffrey gave a relaxed shrug. "Why would I be nervous? I can’t wait to marry her."

Liam tilted his head. "You sure? Jo’s not the type to let go of a grudge. After you ditched her five years ago, she’s got the perfect opportunity for revenge. Got you hook, line, and sinker. And you—you believe she’s in love with you. But are you really sure?"

Jeffrey’s fingers, mid-adjustment at his cuff, faltered—just for a second. But only for a second.

"That’s impossible," he said with quiet conviction. "She’s not that good a liar."

And she was pregnant. If anything, that felt like its own form of truth, real and irreversible.

Liam chuckled, stepping closer to fix the boutonnière on Jeffrey’s lapel. "I’m glad she found you," he said. His voice held no trace of bitterness, only affection and acceptance. "I’m glad she refused my proposal. If she’d married me, she’d still be stuck in that small town. Sure, she’d have been the biggest fish there... but she deserves the ocean."

Jeffrey’s expression softened. "She’s impressive," he said, meaning every word.

"Absolutely," Liam nodded. Then, after a beat: "Throw her in fire often."

Jeffrey blinked. "What?"

Liam laughed lightly, then explained, "Remember what you told the townspeople? That she was fire—how they treated her like a furnace for their trash, and she still kept burning bright? You were right."

"And I think she’s gold," Liam continued. "The more she’s thrown into fire, the more she endures, the more she shines. Yesterday... she played that violin like a woman who wasn’t proving herself anymore, but commanding the stage. She’s outgrown every box anyone tried to shove her into. Even mine."

Jeffrey’s throat tightened, an ache blooming in his chest. He was about to speak, but Liam beat him to it.

"So... protect her heart," Liam said softly. "Don’t polish her. Don’t cage her. Just protect that soft, stubborn heart. She’s not built like us. She’ll take wounds personally. She’ll forgive too quickly. She’ll love like it’ll save the world—and if you let her, it just might."

Jeffrey looked down for a second, the weight of Liam’s words settling deep in his chest. Then he nodded.

"I’ll protect her," he said. "Not because she needs it... but because she deserves it."

Liam smiled, satisfied. "Good."

A knock came at the door, followed by a soft voice:

"It’s time."

Jeffrey turned—and his face lit up.

"Grandpa!"

Philip stepped in, his smile radiant, the kind that reached his eyes and made him look younger than he was. It was the smile of a man who had seen dreams come to life.

Liam gave a respectful nod to the elder Winchester and quietly excused himself, his exit graceful, his role fulfilled.