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His expression softened, not with pride exactly, but with something more personal, like he was watching her become the woman he’d always seen.
Adrian lifted her hand, the brush of his lips against her knuckles sending a shiver down her spine. The familiar glint of gold caught her eye as he withdrew the bracelet from his pocket, the same one that had once marked her as his. His gaze studied her face with predatory focus, searching for any flicker of hesitation.
Georgia’s pulse quickened, but not from the old fears that used to plague her. This time, the weight of the metal sliding against her skin felt like coming home. Adrian’s fingers lingered on the clasp, his touch possessive. Each careful movement spoke of ownership, of protection, of everything she’d run from before, but now understood with stark clarity. The tension in her shoulders dissolved under his steady gaze, replaced by the bone-deep knowledge that she was exactly where she belonged. His fingers caressed her wrist, and Georgia realized that sometimes surrender wasn’t about losing yourself; it was about finding your way back.
His lips brushed her temple, the gesture achingly tender. “You’ll have the world at your feet, Georgia. The way it should be.”
The warmth of his words settled into her bones as Georgia allowed herself to imagine more. Not just success, but the sound of running feet down hallways, Theo’s laughter mingling with smaller voices. She pictured their son surrounded by siblings, growing up wrapped in the safety and strength that had once felt impossible. The vision crystallized, solid and real, like touching the foundation stones of their future.
Georgia felt only peace, at last. This legacy they were building wasn’t the crushing weight Vincent had tried to force upon them. Instead, it felt like rich soil, ready for roots to take hold and flourish. Adrian’s hand tightened around hers, steady and unwavering. They’d survived the storm, and now the horizon stretched before them, limitless and bright.
The End