The mansion was quiet, the soft glow of candles casting flickering shadows across the ornate walls. Isabella sat by the window of her room, staring out at the moonlit gardens. Her engagement ring caught the light, a small reminder of the commitment that awaited her tomorrow. Despite everything, her heart raced — with fear, anticipation, and something she hadn't yet dared to name.
A soft knock at the door made her jump.
"Isabella… may I come in?" Elijah's deep voice called.
She turned, her stomach fluttering. "Yes… come in."
He entered, moving with calm confidence, his dark eyes meeting hers. "I thought I would check on you," he said softly, sitting near her chair. "Tomorrow is a big day. I know this is… overwhelming."
"It is," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm scared, Elijah. Scared of the wedding, scared of… everything."
He reached out, taking her hands gently in his. "You don't have to be afraid of me," he said. "I don't want you to feel trapped. I want us to take this step together — honestly, openly, even if we don't get everything right."
Her heart thumped as warmth spread through her chest. "I… I don't know if I can do this. But I want to try. I want to see if this… us… can be something good."
Elijah's gaze softened, and a rare, small smile tugged at his lips. "Then we try. That's all I ask. Nothing else matters tonight — no past, no obligations, no expectations. Just this moment."
They talked for hours, quietly sharing fears, doubts, and small hopes. Isabella admitted her anger, her confusion, her anxiety about the future. Elijah listened, never judging, only responding with calm reassurance.
"You don't have to pretend with me," he said at one point. "Not here, not tonight. Just be yourself."
Her chest tightened. She realized, with a sudden flutter, that she was beginning to feel more than respect or trust. She was beginning to fall for him — slowly, painfully, and irresistibly.
"I… I think I'm beginning to understand you," she whispered, her fingers brushing his. "And I… I think I'm beginning to… like you."
Elijah's smile deepened, but his eyes remained serious, dark, and full of intensity. "I hoped you might," he said softly. "I feel the same. And I want us to see where this goes — together."
Finally, as the night grew late, they prepared for bed. Elijah followed her to her bed, and without hesitation, he pulled her close. She felt the steady strength of his body as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against him. The warmth of his embrace made her heart race, her fears melting into a strange calm.
He kissed the top of her head softly. "Tomorrow," he whispered into her hair, "you will be truly mine… my wife."
Isabella closed her eyes, resting her head against his chest, the rhythm of his heartbeat steadying her own. For the first time since arriving at Ashwell Mansion, she felt a fragile sense of peace — and a fluttering hope that maybe, just maybe, this marriage could be the start of something real.
Together, they drifted off to sleep, wrapped in each other's arms, as the mansion lay quiet around them, waiting for the day that would change everything.