Vivian.
London felt different from inside Sebastian's mansion.
Not silent. Not empty.
Peaceful.
For the first time in what felt like another lifetime, I was not waiting for footsteps outside a locked door. I was not listening for whispers that carried danger. I was not planning escape routes in my mind before I even closed my eyes.
I was breathing.
Soft morning light rested across the room like a quiet blessing. Warm sheets wrapped around me. The air itself felt safe. And beneath it all lived a certainty I had never known before — I was chosen. Not as an obligation. Not as someone to protect out of duty.
But as someone loved.
I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling, letting calm move slowly through my body. The silence was not heavy. It was gentle. It allowed memories to settle without fear.
It had been a journey that reshaped everything.
Fear had followed me. Doubt had lived inside me. Survival had become instinct. Trust had felt like risk.
