Cristina Constantinescu

“Fear. Alex knew he was a fine one to pontificate about fear. He'd issued the world's most tepid, careful marriage proposal. Because he'd been afraid to tell Genevieve he loved her.
Not that it would have made much of a difference.
She loved Harry.
Harry in his youthful innocence had put his finger right on it. And Moncrieffe pushed the realization away. He took in a sharp breath.
Harry took Moncrieffe's silence as a reason to go on.
"God help me, it was only because I was afraid of losing her. And I honestly didn't feel I deserved her, for I had nothing to give her. I simply needed to know whether she loved me. I'm not proud of it, but I have never loved anyone more."
Moncrieffe could still scarcely get the words out.
"I just can't believe you would 'do' such a thing to someone you... loved."
Osborne was very, very drunk, but he wasn't stupid. "But I couldn't hurt her, could I, if she didn't love me?"
And now Harry's blue eyes fixed on him almost searchingly.
Moncrieffe couldn't believe he had almost shown his hand.
"You just said you weren't certain whether she did love you. And if she does love you anywhere as much as you claim to love her, imagine the pain you may have caused her with your whole charade."
Harry looked up at him and blinked. And as he thought about it, his face slowly went white.
After a moment he swallowed.
"'Gallant' of you," Moncrieffe drawled, twisting the knife.
Moncrieffe knew a surge of hatred for himself for saying it. But he wanted Harry to feel what he'd done to Genevieve.”
― Julie Anne Long, What I Did for a Duke