TITLE:RUNAWAY BRIDE

EPILOGUE: CLOSURE

Two weeks after the wedding.

The first email came on a Tuesday morning.

Subject: Case Closed - Daniel Smith

Alex read it twice in his office. Then he called me in.

"He signed," Alex said. He turned the laptop toward me. "Non-disclosure agreement. Restraining order. Agreement to leave the country and never make contact. He also withdrew all legal claims against you."

I scanned the legal words. They meant nothing to me.

But the last line meant everything: *All claims dropped. No further action will be taken.*

"So it’s really over?" I asked. My voice was small. I’d been asking that question for months.

Alex stood up and pulled me into his arms. "It’s over, Lily. He can’t touch us. He can’t touch you. My lawyers made sure of it. If he comes within 100 meters of you, he goes to jail."

For months I’d been looking over my shoulder. Waiting for Daniel to show up at the gate. Waiting for another threat. Waiting for the other shoe to drop.

For the first time, my shoulders dropped.

"Thank you," I whispered into Alex’s chest. "For fighting for me."

"For what?" he murmured, kissing my hair.

"For choosing me. Every single time. Even when it was hard."

Alex pulled back to look at me. His eyes were serious. "Lily, I’d burn the world down before I let him hurt you again. I’ll always choose you."

---

One month later.

We moved out of the city mansion. Too many memories. Too many ghosts.

Now we have a smaller house by the ocean. Glass walls. Bare feet. No guards. Just us.

I write in the mornings. Romance novels. Funny, because my life turned into one.

Alex works from home twice a week.

In the evenings we cook together. Badly. We set off the smoke alarm twice. We order pizza a lot.

Sometimes I still wake up at 3am from the old nightmares.

Alex is always awake. He just pulls me closer and runs his fingers through my hair.

"No more running," he whispers.

"No more running," I answer.

The gold ring on my finger catches the morning light.

Inside it still says: *No more running.*

And we meant it.

THE END.