LOGINMara’s Pov (Epilogue)And that was how I married the man I loved, without hiding.I didn’t even know he had quietly taken care of everything I once thought would haunt me forever—clearing the legal ties between Philip and me, removing every shadow that made me feel like I didn’t fully belong to myself. It was only then I realized I had never truly been free until Elias made sure I was.No one could call our love forbidden anymore.Not the world. Not the past. Not even me.My love for Elias only grew stronger with each passing day as we planned our wedding together. He gave me everything I once thought only existed in dreams—the dress, the atmosphere, the life I never thought I deserved. I still remember my wedding dress so clearly; it wasn’t just beautiful, it felt like it had been made from everything I had survived.And the vows he said to me… I still hear them sometimes when everything is quiet.I loved him deeply. Completely. He was my world, and I would never trade his love for a
Mara's PovThe room suddenly felt too quiet.He walked up to me slowly and held my hand. I heard soft whispers from the crowd, and my heart kept beating as if it could fall out of my chest. He made me face him, and I wondered what he was about to do.“Mara,” he began calmly.“If I had planned every moment of my life, I still would not have been prepared for you.”“I did not come into your world as someone looking for love. I came into it looking for truth. Answers. Clarity for things I thought were already decided in my mind.”“But you… changed what I thought I already understood.”“At first, I thought I was observing you.”“Then I realized I was misunderstanding you.”“And somewhere between those two, without permission from either of us, you became the only thing I could not walk away from.”A few soft murmurs moved through the crowd, but I barely heard them anymore. My entire world had narrowed to his voice.“We did not begin gently. We did not begin right. We began with questions,
Mara’s PovI had been staring at the same wrapped box for what felt like too long, turning it slightly in my hands like it would suddenly start telling me whether it was enough or not.“It’s not enough,” I muttered under my breath.Andrea looked up from where she was helping Camille arrange some things on the table and gave me a look that was halfway between amusement and concern.“What exactly are you trying to achieve with ‘enough’?” she asked.I sighed, placing the box back down carefully like it might break under pressure. “It’s his birthday, Andrea. Elias doesn’t just… do normal birthdays. It’s been a long time since he last celebrated. And I—” I hesitated, suddenly feeling a little ridiculous even saying it out loud, “I don’t know what to get him that actually means something.”Camille let out a soft laugh from across the room, shaking her head slightly as she adjusted the flower arrangement on the table.“Sweetheart,” she said gently, “you could give him a plain piece of paper
Elias Pov It was the weekend, and for once I woke up to a silence that felt like peace itself.There were no urgent calls waiting, no decisions pressing against the back of my mind, and no reason to immediately step into responsibility the moment I opened my eyes. It felt peaceful, and I found myself enjoying every moment of it.I stayed in bed longer than usual, staring at the ceiling while daylight slowly filtered through the curtains. Even in the stillness, my thoughts didn’t settle easily. They moved on their own, drifting between recent events, things that had ended, and things that had not yet properly begun again, and I found myself waiting for something to interrupt the quiet, because experience had taught me that peace rarely lasted without consequence.Eventually, I got up.The house felt different as I moved through it. Not empty, not loud, but subtly shifted in a way I couldn’t immediately define. There was movement somewhere downstairs, soft sounds of footsteps and obje
Mara's Pov The drive home was quiet.Not uncomfortable quiet, but the kind that came after too many emotions had been pulled to the surface in one day. The city lights blurred past the car windows in long streaks of gold and white, while the memory of Margaret’s broken cries refused to leave my mind.I had seen her angry. Bitter. Cruel. Dangerous.But never shattered.I glanced at Elias beside me. His hands rested steadily on the steering wheel, jaw set, eyes forward. Yet every now and then, I caught him looking at me briefly, as though making sure I was still alright.I offered him a small smile.He reached over with one hand and squeezed mine.No words were needed.By the time we arrived at the mansion, warmth greeted us before we even stepped fully inside.Camille was the first to rush forward.“There you are,” she said, touching my cheek like a worried mother. “You look exhausted.”“I’m fine,” I said softly. “Just tired.”Andrea appeared behind her, smiling gently.“How did your
Elias Pov I stayed silent, waiting for Richard to finish whatever he had come to say. Mara was still in my arms, her presence steadying me more than I cared to admit. Richard adjusted the files in his hand, barely glancing at us. With a brief nod, he turned and left the room after he had said what he had to say, his footsteps fading down the corridor.Silence settled between us.I exhaled slowly and looked down at Mara.She was still in my arms. And for a moment, I just… looked at her.“You didn’t move,” I said softly, a small smile forming. “Richard walked in and you didn’t even try to hide behind me this time.”Mara blinked, then frowned slightly like she was thinking about it.“Why should I?” she asked.That caught me off guard.I raised a brow. “You used to.”“I know,” she admitted, then shrugged lightly. “But I’m not going to keep hiding anymore.”There was something different in her voice now. Not fear. Not hesitation.Resolve.And I think that was what made my chest tighten. I
Mara's POVHer eyes moved around the room, taking in the IV stand, the doctor’s bag still on the side table, the half-covered food tray. Everything. Only after she had seen it all did her gaze finally settle on me.“Well,” she said lightly, tilting her head. “You gave everyone quite a scare.”Her t
Mara's POVI thought it would take longer to save me.Before I passed out, before everything went dark, I caught a familiar scent through the fear and pain. I didn’t want to hope it was him. Hope would have hurt too much if I woke up and found myself still trapped with them.I told myself not to be
Mara's POV“I didn’t mean to scare you,” David said softly, his eyes searching mine. “I just… I wanted to know you were okay.”My chest tightened. The sight of him beside my bed, so close, so real, left me breathless.“It’s fine,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.He shifted slightly, careful n
Elias POVI was already late.Traffic had been a mess, my phone buzzing nonstop with calls I ignored, my mind elsewhere the entire drive. I’d dropped Mara off at Clara’s apartment that morning with the understanding that I’d return for her. I didn’t like leaving her there, not after everything, bu







