Chapter 17.
That night, the sky above Vale Mansion seemed vast, dotted with the twinkling lights of the city in the distance. The cold air pierced her skin, but amid the night breeze and the scent of the dew-covered garden, Elara felt a strange sense of calm. She stood on the roof, gazing at the city that sparkled like thousands of falling stars. Beside her, Damien stood tall, his face half-lit by the moonlight, his gaze still difficult to read.
Elara swallowed hard, trying to calm herself. She looked at Damien, waiting for words that might open up the wound she had been feeling all this time. A wound caused not only by Adrian's betrayal, but also by her confusion in dealing with the man who was now her husband.
"I want you to know something," Damien's hoarse yet calm voice pierced the
