Y/N stared at Mattheo, her mind reeling from his ultimatum. She couldn't believe what she was hearing—couldn't believe that Mattheo would ask her to choose between her friendship with Theo and their marriage. It felt wrong, unfair, and completely out of line.
"You don't get to tell me who I can and can't be friends with," Y/N said, her voice shaking with anger. "That's not how this works, Mattheo."
Mattheo's eyes flashed with frustration. "It's not about control, Y/N. It's about trust. And I don't trust him. I can't."
Y/N took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She understood that Mattheo was hurting, that his jealousy came from a place of insecurity—but that didn't make his ultimatum any less infuriating.
"You don't have to trust him," she said quietly. "You just have to trust me."
Mattheo's gaze softened for a brief moment, and Y/N saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes. But then his jaw tightened again, and he shook his head.
"I can't, Y/N. Not when he's always around, always... close to you. It's killing me."
Y/N's heart ached at the pain in his voice, but she knew she couldn't let him dictate her friendships. It wasn't healthy, and it wouldn't fix the real problem.
"I won't stop being friends with Theo," she said firmly, meeting Mattheo's gaze. "But I will talk to him. I'll set clearer boundaries—boundaries that we're both comfortable with. Theo will have to accept that if he wants our friendship to continue."
Mattheo stared at her, his expression unreadable. Y/N held her breath, wondering if he would accept her compromise or if this would be the breaking point.
After what felt like an eternity, Mattheo let out a long breath and nodded, though he still looked conflicted. "Fine. Talk to him. But if he doesn't respect those boundaries..."
"He will," Y/N said quickly, relief flooding through her. "I'll make sure of it."
Mattheo didn't respond, but the tension in the room eased slightly, and Y/N could feel the storm starting to pass. She knew this wasn't over—that Mattheo's jealousy and insecurities would take time to heal—but at least they were talking, and that was a start.
The next day, Y/N found Theo sitting in the café they often frequented. He smiled when he saw her, but there was a sadness in his eyes that hadn't been there before.
"I was wondering when you'd come to talk," Theo said quietly as she sat down across from him.
Y/N sighed, feeling the weight of what she had to say. "Theo, we need to talk about... boundaries."
Theo's expression didn't change, but Y/N could see the hurt flicker in his eyes. "Mattheo?"
Y/N nodded. "Yes. He's—he's not comfortable with how close we are. And I need to respect that. I need to focus on my marriage."
Theo looked down at his cup of coffee, his fingers tracing the rim in silence. "I understand," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to make things harder for you."
Y/N reached across the table, gently touching his hand. "I value our friendship, Theo. But there need to be limits. I can't spend as much time with you as I used to, and we need to be more careful about... everything."
Theo nodded slowly, though Y/N could see the sadness in his eyes. "I'll respect whatever boundaries you set, Y/N. I just don't want to lose you completely."
"You won't," Y/N promised, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "But we need to be honest with ourselves, and with Mattheo."
Theo looked up at her, and for a moment, Y/N saw the depth of his feelings for her in his gaze. But then he smiled—soft and bittersweet.
"I'll take whatever I can get."
Back at the Manor, Y/N found Mattheo in the study, his shoulders tense as he stood by the window, staring out into the gray sky. She approached him slowly, her heart pounding in her chest.
"I talked to him," she said quietly.
Mattheo turned to face her, his expression guarded. "And?"
Y/N took a deep breath. "He understands. He'll respect the boundaries we talked about. I told him I need to focus on us."
For a moment, Mattheo said nothing, his dark eyes searching hers. Then, slowly, he nodded, though his expression remained somber.
"Thank you," he muttered, his voice barely audible.
Y/N took a step closer, reaching for his hand. "Mattheo, I don't want this to be about ultimatums. I don't want us to keep hurting each other."
Mattheo looked down at her hand in his, his grip tightening slightly. "I don't either."
And for the first time in days, Y/N felt like they were on the same page. The jealousy and hurt still lingered, but they were no longer standing on opposite sides of an insurmountable wall.
They were finally moving toward each other.