Chapter 9 - The Window Left Open
The sun rose higher in the sky, painting the blue surface of Lake Michigan in shimmering shades of silver and gold.
Luca took the sachet and placed it gently on the small table beside their tea cups.
Then he turned back to Mara, sliding his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest. He looked deep into her eyes—no longer as a dying boss begging for pity, nor as a powerful man demanding obedience, but as a man who had found his home in the arms of the woman he loved.
“Would you let me hold you, Mara?” he asked softly.
The words were the exact same ones he had spoken in the dark, suffocating bedroom seventeen months ago.
But this time, there was no rain crashing against sealed windows.
There were no toxic diffusers, no secret poisons, no fear of the morning.
And this time, Mara didn't look at the wall.
She looked straight into his eyes, smiled, and stepped into his embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around his broad shoulders, pressing her heart against his.
May you like
“Always, Luca,” she whispered against his lips. “Always.”
The spring breeze swept through the wide-open glass doors, carrying the sweet scent of the lake and fresh blossoms across the room, filling every corner of the house with light, air, and a love that would never be closed off again.
