That night, after Kael left, David and Elara stood on their bedroom balcony, watching the city begin to glow with evening lights. The air between them felt different - there were still remnants of wounds, but also new hope.
"David," Elara broke the silence, her voice soft. "I want to talk about everything that happened."
David turned, his face showing exhaustion mixed with acceptance. "I'm listening."
Elara took a deep breath. "When you locked me in the room, what hurt the most wasn't the feeling of confinement. It was the feeling that our love had turned toxic."
David bowed his head, listening attentively.
"But today," Elara continued, "when I heard your story about the ice cream, I realized something. Our love may not be perfect, but it has always been sincere."
She held David's hand. "I remember our early marriage nights, when you came home late carrying that same chocolate ice cream. You never told me why it was so meaningful to you."
"Because I wanted it to be my secret," David answered. "Something only you and I knew, even though you yourself weren't aware of it."
Elara's eyes glistened with tears. "All this time I felt trapped in a golden cage. But now I understand, that cage wasn't built by you, but by both our fears. Your fear of losing me, and my fear of hurting you with the truth."
They sat on the balcony chairs, hands still clasped.
"I love you, David," Elara continued. "Not because of your wealth, not because of your protection. But because of the man who bought all the ice cream at the minimarket just to make sure that one day the woman he loved would never run out of her favorite ice cream again."
David pulled Elara into his embrace. "I promise I will learn to love you in the right way. Not by confining you, but by giving you trust."
"And I promise I will learn to be open with you," Elara replied. "No longer hiding my feelings or my fears."
They sat embracing in comfortable silence, watching the stars begin to appear in the night sky. For the first time in months, there was nothing to hide, nothing to fear.
"Tomorrow," David whispered, "let's start over. Like before, but with new wisdom."
"Yes," Elara answered with a small smile. "Let's start with the chocolate ice cream you've been keeping in the freezer."
Their laughter filled the night air, melting away the remaining bitterness. There was still a long road ahead, wounds that needed healing, but for tonight, their love was warm enough to warm hearts that had been hurt.
And in the distance, the full moon seemed to smile, witnessing two souls who had finally found their way back to each other's hearts.