Chapter 10 - The Will to Trust
One Year Later.
The grand hall of Vale Tower was filled with the sound of acoustic guitar music, soft laughter, and the cheerful clinking of glasses.
It was our wedding reception—a warm, intimate gathering of sixty close friends, foundation staff, Adrian, and the people who had supported us through our journey.
I stood on the glass terrace wearing a simple, breathtaking ivory silk wedding gown, my hair cascading down my back in loose, romantic curls. My emerald-cut diamond ring caught the warm light of the sunset.
Damian stood behind me, his arms wrapped securely around my waist, his chin resting gently on my shoulder as we watched the evening lights of Manhattan twinkle into life.
Beside us on the plush terrace rug lay Atlas—now ten pounds heavier, completely healthy, and sleeping peacefully with his paws stretched out toward the view.
"What are you thinking about, Mrs. Vale?" Damian whispered softly against my ear, his lips brushing the sensitive skin beneath my jaw.
I turned slightly in his arms, resting my cheek against his crisp white tuxedo shirt, listening to the steady, comforting rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my palm.
"I’m thinking about the night I walked into this building," I said softly, looking out at the city. "I was so scared, Damian. I thought I was just coming here to earn rent money so I could keep running."
Damian tightened his hold around me, kissing the top of my head with endless tenderness.
"You’re not running anymore, Nora," he promised softly. "You’re home."
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I looked down at Atlas, who opened one big, brown, trusting eye, let out a soft huff of pure contentment, and went right back to sleep between us.
The darkness of the past, the cages built by cruel men, and the fear of losing control had all vanished into the warm, golden light of our new beginning. I had come to this penthouse to save a dog who had lost the will to try—and in doing so, I had found the one man who gave me the courage to trust forever.
