I'd offered to buy Adelina, but Tristan said she wasn't for sale. She's his favorite slave and there's not enough money in the world to secure her release. His terms were very clear, she's just a loan. Defying his wishes will start a war we're unprepared to fight. I have no other choice but to return her, and she understands that. She accepts my decision with her head held high but her eyes empty. Our passionate fire is doused by pain, and the heat we had runs cold. This is the right decision, but I feel horrible about it. So horrible that I can't stop thinking about it. If it were me, I'd rather be dead. She tells me she'd rather be dead too. I can either defy Tristan to save her, or I can help her end her own life.--