Bound By His Curse

CHAPTER 13

SERAPHINA VALEMONT POV;

The drive into the city took almost two hours, winding through rolling green hills and golden farmland, then slowly transitioning into paved roads, tall buildings, and the familiar hum of city life. It had been almost six months since Cassian and I had left our cottage, and even longer since we had set foot in the city that had been our whole world for so long. As we drove, my hand rested in Cassian’s, our fingers laced together tightly, and I found myself staring out the window, watching familiar landmarks pass by—the park where I used to walk alone as a girl, the church where we were married under a canopy of white flowers, the tall glass skyscraper that used to be the headquarters of the Valemont Empire, now owned and run by a charity group Cassian had handed everything over to. Every building, every street corner, held a memory—some painful, some precious, all part of the story that brought us here.

It was a warm autumn day, the trees turning shades of amber, crimson, and gold, the air crisp and fresh, carrying the faint smell of fallen leaves and woodsmoke. Cassian had told me this morning that there was something he wanted to show me, something important, and though he wouldn’t say what it was, I could feel the quiet excitement radiating off him, thrumming through the bond we still shared—no longer a curse, no longer a burden, just a soft, steady connection between two people who knew each other better than anyone else in the world. It was the kind of bond that didn’t need words, just a look, or a touch, or the way our hands fit together like they were made for each other.

When the tall iron gates of the old Valemont mansion came into view, my breath caught. This was the place where our story had truly begun: the grand, cold estate where I had arrived as a scared, lonely girl, sent to marry a man everyone called a monster, where I had spent months hidden away, where I had first seen Cassian’s pain, where we had uncovered the secrets of the curse, where we had fallen in love against all odds. For so long, this place had felt like a prison, a tomb full of secrets and shadows and pain. I’d thought I’d never want to see it again.

But it looked so different now. The gates stood wide open, no security guards standing watch, no forbidding signs telling people to keep out. The dark curtains that used to cover every window were gone, replaced by bright, light ones that let the sun pour in, and the gardens that had once been perfectly manicured but empty of life were now overflowing with colorful flowers, climbing vines, and groups of children running and laughing, their voices echoing across the grounds like music. I saw swings hanging from the old oak trees, a sandbox near the fountain, tables set up under umbrellas for painting and games. It was unrecognizable, in the best way possible.

Cassian had donated the entire estate to the city almost a year ago, turning it into a specialized home and school for sick and disabled children—a place of healing, joy, and safety, instead of the prison of pain and secrets it had been for generations. He’d spent months working with architects and charities, making sure every room was accessible, every corner was warm, every part of it was designed to be a home, not an institution. “This place took so much from us,” he’d told me once. “It’s only right that it gives something back.”

We parked the car and walked through the gates, hand in hand, smiling as a group of small children ran past us, chasing each other and shouting happily. A little girl in a bright red wheelchair waved at us from the path, holding a drawing of a rainbow, and I waved back, my heart swelling with warmth. This was what all the suffering, all the sacrifice, all the loss had been for. This was the good that had come out of all the bad. Every tear, every fear, every hard choice—it all led here.

We walked slowly toward the west wing—the part of the mansion that had been mine, the place where I had spent my first months there, alone and scared, thinking my life was over. The heavy wooden doors were propped open, and inside, the cold, empty rooms I remembered were now bright and warm, filled with bookshelves lined with colorful stories, tables covered in paints and crayons, soft rugs on the floor, and sunlight streaming through every window. There were murals on the walls—castles and dragons and stars, painted by the children who lived here. A group of kids sat on the rug, listening to a teacher read a story, their faces lit up with wonder.

I stopped in the middle of the room, looking around, remembering.I remembered the first time I saw Cassian, cold and distant, looking at me like I was nothing more than a piece of paper. I remembered the night I heard him cry out in pain, and followed the sound to his study, changing both our lives forever. I remembered the fear, the confusion, the slow, sweet fall into love. It felt like a lifetime ago, and yet it felt like yesterday.

Cassian wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder, his warm breath fanning my neck.

“Do you ever regret it?” he asked softly, his voice gentle.

“Do you ever wish we had met differently? That we didn’t have to go through all the pain, all the fear, all the hard things just to find each other?”

I leaned back against him, turning my head to kiss his cheek, smiling softly.

“Never. Not for a second. Every hard thing, every tear, fear or sadness… it all led me here. It all led me to you. It made us who we are. I wouldn’t change a single thing. Because if I did… I might not have ended up right here, with you. And this is exactly where I belong.”

He turned me around in his arms, kissing me slow, right there in the middle of the room that had once been my prison and was now a place of joy.

“I love you,” he said simply, like it was the easiest, most natural thing in the world.

“More than all the stars in the sky. More than every memory this place holds. More than anything.”

We walked out into the hallway, heading toward the private garden I had tended so carefully during those first months. The roses I had planted were still there, bigger and more beautiful than ever, blooming bright and sweet, climbing up the stone walls and filling the air with their scent. As we rounded the corner, I saw a familiar figure leaning against one of the old stone pillars, waiting for us, a wide, warm smile on his face.

Vince.

He pushed himself off the pillar and walked toward us, his arms open wide, pulling both of us into a tight, happy hug.

“I was hoping I’d catch you here,” he said, laughing softly as he pulled back to look at us.

“Heard rumors you were coming to visit. I couldn’t miss it. Besides, I’ve got something to tell you"

Vince looked different too—happier, lighter, like he had finally found his own peace after years of putting everyone else first. He had been our rock through everything: the friend who loved me silently, who tried to save me, who told us the truth about the curse, who stood by us even when everything was falling apart. And now, seeing him like this, full of life and joy, was the best thing I could ever have hoped for. He deserved every bit of happiness in the world.

He turned and gestured to the woman standing a few steps behind him, soft-eyed and warm, with a bright smile and a gentle face, holding his hand tight. She had dark hair pulled back in a braid, and she wore a paint-splattered apron, like she’d been working with the children all morning.

“Seraphina, Cassian… I’d like you to meet Elena. She works here, at the home. She runs the art classes. And… we’re getting married next spring.”

I gasped, throwing my arms around Elena first, then Vince, tears springing to my eyes.

“Vince! That’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you! You deserve this more than anyone I know."

Vince laughed, his face softening as he looked at Elena, his eyes full of so much love it made my heart ache in the best way.

“I spent so many years loving you, Seraphina, and I thought that was all there was for me. I thought I’d spend my whole life loving someone I couldn’t have, just happy to be near you and keep you safe. But then I met Elena, and I realized what love is supposed to be. It’s finding someone who sees you, all of you, and loves you anyway. Just like you and Cassian found. I finally understand now.”

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking through the gardens. Elena told us about her work with the children, about how happy she was here, about how much she admired what Cassian had done with the estate. Vince told us about his plans for the future: opening a small community library in the village near our cottage, writing stories for children, all the things he had always wanted to do but never had the courage to try before.

At one point, we wandered over to the old library, the place where Cassian and I had spent so many nights pouring over ancient books and scrolls, searching for a way to break the curse.

Cassian pulled me close as we stood by the window, looking out over the grounds, at the children playing, at Vince and Elena laughing together on the grass.

“Do you remember what I said to you here?” he asked softly.

“I told you that I’d give up everything I had just to save you. And I did. And it was the best choice I ever made. I thought I was giving up everything that mattered. But I was wrong. I was just making room for everything that does.”

I looked up at him, at the man who had once been the loneliest, most broken person in the world, and was now the happiest, most loving man I knew. “You didn’t give up anything important. You gained everything that matters. Love, freedom, family. That’s worth more than all the money in the world.”

As the sun began to dip low in the sky, painting the old mansion in warm shades of gold and orange, we said our goodbyes to Vince and Elena, promising to visit often, to be there for their wedding, to always be in each other’s lives. We walked back to the car slowly, hand in hand, looking back one last time at the estate that had been the start of everything, now transformed into something beautiful and good.

As we drove away, heading back to our little cottage in the countryside, I rested my head on Cassian’s shoulder, watching the city fade away behind us, happy and whole. We had left behind so much, but we had found everything we ever needed, right here, with each other. And whatever roads lay ahead, whatever echoes of the past might linger, we knew one thing for sure: we would walk them together.