Chapter 877

Linda firmly believed that women could make their own way in the world. Any man who looked down on a woman for striving to do so was just plain disrespectful. Her entire life had been about building her own legacy—not living under William's shadow or Samson's protection. "I know you don't mind," William said, his voice quieter now, "but I still want a title. I want to feel like I belong when I'm standing by your side." It wasn't often that he admitted his insecurities, but he had done so now. He understood that their relationship had reached a critical point. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. What he wanted was acknowledgment—a status that everyone could recognize. Linda didn't respond to his confession, nor did she offer any promises about the future. Whether she would someday give him what he wanted was a question she couldn't answer, at least not yet. Love didn't work that way. It wasn't about simply wanting something and having it materialize. Wi