Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

Jasper rested his chin on Alyssa's head and rubbed against it. "Sure. If it's your wish to get rid of Daisy Schmidt, I'll see to it."
"Taty... Why?" Sean was astonished to learn that Tatiana had dropped the lawsuit. Kneeling beside the bed on one knee, he
gripped her sweaty hands and offered, "I can be your legal representation. I'll battle the Schmidts on your behalf. We will win this
court case for sure, so why are you backing down? We must continue the fight against the Schmidts until the very end."
"I'm sorry, Sean..." Hugging her knees and curling up in bed, she looked at him through tears. "I understand your sentiments, but
I'm sorry..."
The more she apologized, the more painful and suffocating it became for him. Tatiana was not at fault. The blame lay with the
Schmidts and that scoundrel David.
"Sean, can we put an end to this case? Please stop fighting for me." Tearing up, she shook her head. "I'm a Taylor. The Schmidts
can't do anything to me. But what will you do if you make them your enemy?
"What if they pose a threat to your family? If this scandal goes viral, your family might see me differently even if David did not
assault me."
"Taty..." Sean's mind went blank as his heart broke.
He finally understood that Tatiana wasn't fearful of the attention and the public opinion. She was more worried about how she'd
be perceived by his family, and she wanted to leave a good impression.
"Sean, I have wanted to marry you since I was young. I still feel the same. I'd like to take your last name." Gently caressing the
face of her lover, she said, "I know your family has reservations about me. They won't approve if they learn about the scandal.
That would only put you in a difficult position."

A difficult position. Little did Tatiana know that Alyssa had said something to the effect last night. The two Taylor sisters were
equally empathetic and thoughtful. Because of that, they were willing to endure humiliation and suppress their needs for the
people they loved.
Thankfully, Alyssa had found her happy ending with Jasper, but what about Tatiana?
Swallowing hard, Sean pulled his lover into a tight hug. "If you're willing, we can register our marriage at any time."
Tightening his grip, he looked as if he wanted to be one with her. He promised, "You're the only woman I'd like to marry."
Tatiana shut her teary eyes. She had no idea what the future held, but his vow made her suffering
wor Lhwhile.
At that moment, they were interrupted by Colene's urgent voice, "Sean, are you in there? Can you come out for a bit?"
After a pause, he opened the door, eyes red from tears. "Colene, why are you looking for me?"
Colene stole a glance at the room and pulled Sean away. She even closed the door behind them. Sensing her seriousness, he
asked, "Colene, what happened?"
"Go to the first floor and see for yourself," Colene said with concern, lowering her voice. "Your mom and your brother are here."