The Divorced Military Queen Awakens (by Sadie Baxter) novel Chapter 425

Chapter 425 Unequal Devotion

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Julius let a crooked, almost bitter smile tug at the corner of his mouth. “Yes, Quinn, I love you -more than I believed any man could love,” he said. “Yet I also know, with cruel clarity, that the feeling you carry for me does not cut nearly as deep. From day one, our love has been lopsided.”

The woman could toss him aside as effortlessly as a child grew bored with a toy, and he, once discarded, would be left gasping for the next breath.

If it happened again, what bottomless pit would he plunge into?

“Quinn, you said you’d return to me only when your love mirrored mine,” Julius continued, voice raw. “I need it to be so deep that you, too, cannot live without me.”

Only then would he trust she would never walk away from him again.

That night, Quinn fell asleep with her fingers threaded through his, as though fear itself would pry them apart.

When dawn slid through the curtains, Julius still lay in heavy slumber.

She watched him in the hush of morning light, spellbound by the rise and fall of his chest.

Even in repose, he was disarmingly beautiful–features deeper, more sculpted than most Aplothians, a straight patrician nose, sensual lips that suggested danger and promise at once.

Somehow, icy aloofness and vivid allure–two opposing notes–resolved into perfect harmony on his face.

Bruised shadows under his eyes and the porcelain cast of his skin lent him the fragility of shattered glass.

Julius had said he would accept Quinn only if she could love with equal ferocity.

But love could never be weighed or measured, so how could she ever convince him of how deeply she adored him?

She lifted a hand and brushed the tips of her fingers across his lashes, as long and dark as raven wings.

His eyes fluttered open; the soft sweep of lashes over her skin sent ripples across the still lake of her heart.

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Chapter 425 Unequal Devotion

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Quinn felt the warmth of his skin linger on her fingertips. As though scalded, she jerked her hand back and leaned over the edge of the bed. Soft morning light spilled across Julius‘ lashes just as they fluttered open. Quinn offered a tentative smile. “Hey, you’re awake. Did you get any rest at all?”

The man’s gaze drifted, half–lidded, taking a long second to focus on the face hovering only inches away. When clarity finally settled, the haze lifted from his fox–sharp eyes, and the room seemed to tighten around the two of them.

“Well enough,” he murmured, voice still rough with sleep, like gravel under velvet.

In truth, it had been more than well.

The moment her fingers threaded through his, warmth seeped into every fracture of his battered body, pulling him into the first unbroken night’s sleep he had known in months.

She is my medicine, that much I know. Without that touch, no sedative, no doctor, no set of pills can keep my nightmares restrained.

“Good,” she said, relief brightening her tone. “Then let’s keep doing it this way from now on.”

“Do you want to wash up? I can carry you to the bathroom,” Julius offered, already shifting upright despite the fresh sting beneath his bandages.

“No need. It’s only a few steps. I can handle it myself,” Quinn replied. The next second, she

swung

her legs over the mattress, planted the rubber tips of her crutches against the floor, and propelled herself toward the adjoining bathroom with practiced, almost jaunty determination.

Julius watched the awkward angle of her plaster–encased calf disappear through the doorway, and a searing image flashed behind his eyes–the burning warehouse, her arm braced beneath his, dragging him through the smoke.

Not once, not even with flames licking at her hair, had she let him fall.

But gratitude no longer satisfied the hunger coiling inside him.

He wanted more–wanted shamelessly, greedily; wanted every dawn, every night, every heartbeat that warmed her skin. If I can’t claim that, maybe it’s better to stop here, for both our sakes.

When Quinn returned, steam still ghosting from her hair, she found Gavin bending over Julius, replacing the gauze that clung to his back.

As the fresh bandage lifted, raw lacerations—jagged, angry, unmistakable–came into stark view, and her breath snagged in her throat.

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Chapter 425 Unequal Devotion

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“Morning, Quinn!” Gavin called, cheerful as though they were meeting over coffee instead of open wounds.

Quinn limped closer, eyes fixed on the network of injuries. “How long before those heal completely?”

“Minimum of three months,” Gavin replied without looking up, voice turning professional, crisp.

“Do we have change the dressing every day?”

“For the first month, yes,” Gavin answered promptly. “Give it another week, and we can ditch the gauze. After that, a thin layer of ointment will be enough, but he needs food–good food. He’s weak now and hasn’t been eating well, so please ensure he has his meals on time. He needs plenty of nutrition.”

“Got it,” Quinn said, nodding once.

Gavin’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “One more thing–nothing too strenuous in the bedroom until the gauze is off. You’ll split his stitches. Wait until the bandages are history, then have at it.”

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