Chapter Eighty
* The Closed Door*
The last of the wedding guests had been seen off. The quiet of the penthouse, after the day's emotional whirlwind, felt heavier than silence. It was a thick, expectant quiet.
Lyra walked in first, kicking off her delicate heels by the door. She felt exhausted, but not from the ceremony. From the sheer tidal wave of feelings—the joy, the peace, the defiant victory over Saphira's chaos, and underneath it all, a humming, terrifying awareness of the man now standing behind her.
Xami closed the door, the soft click echoing in the vast space. He shrugged off his suit jacket, hanging it neatly. "You were incredible today," he said, his voice warm in the dim foyer light. "The way you handled Saphira... it was perfect."
"Thank you," Lyra said, her voice soundi
