Chapter 10 - The Promise on the Marble
That evening, the Dragamir estate was quiet and peaceful.
Elena walked down the long dining room toward the grand console table—the very spot where, seven months ago, a single crystal wine glass had slipped from her hands and shattered across the floor.
Standing beside the table was Adrien, holding a bottle of aged red wine and two crystal glasses.
"Are you sure you want to let me handle those?" Elena joked, stepping into the warm light of the chandelier. "I have a terrible track record with your glassware."
Adrien picked up one of the glasses, filling it with wine, and handed it to her.
"You can break every glass in this house, Elena," Adrien said, his voice deep and warm as velvet. "I will simply buy more."
Elena took the glass. Her hands were steady, strong, and completely free of fear. She looked down at the polished marble floor beneath her feet—the floor where she had once fallen to her knees, bleeding and begging for forgiveness.
Now, she stood tall, whole, and completely cherished.
Adrien lifted his glass toward hers.
"To broken glass," Adrien proposed softly, his dark eyes locking onto hers with a fierce, eternal devotion. "And the truth it reveals."
Elena smiled, bringing her glass forward until the crystal met his with a clear, bell-like clink that echoed softly through the quiet room.
May you like
"To truth," Elena replied. "And the man who saw me."
Outside, the stars shone bright and clear over the quiet estate. The darkness that had claimed her childhood was gone forever, replaced by the unbreakable warmth of a home where she was loved, protected, and finally free.
