Page 121 of Code of Heart

She meant it with genuine curiosity. It wasn’t every day you met a towering, broad-shouldered man who openly admitted to binging cheesy romance films.

Owen’s expression turned thoughtful, his voice wistful.

“Because no matter how bad things get, no matter how messy it all looks halfway through…you know it’s going to end happily,” he said quietly. “I can put one on at any point—doesn’t matter if it’s the beginning or halfway through—and I’ll still know they’ll figure it out. There’s always some big, dramatic fight or impossible obstacle, but they don’t let it stop them. They find a way.”

Aurelia stared at him in awe. She had never thought of it that way before.

And the earnest, unguarded look in Owen’s eyes made her realize he was letting her see a side of him most people never got close enough to witness.

“It’s like…a reset button,” he added, rubbing the back of his neck. “When life completely falls apart, these movies remind me that things can work out. They give me hope, even if it’s temporary.”

Aurelia swallowed against the sudden lump in her throat, turning his words over in her mind, astutely aware of how perfectly they applied to her own life.

“Have you ever told Isaac all this?” she asked carefully.

Owen snorted, his humor snapping back into place like a reflex. “Are you kidding me? He already makes fun of me for the unrealistic professions like the cupcake tycoon, snowplow mogul, and espresso mustache barber. If he ever found out how much I actually love these movies, I’d never hear the end of it.”

He paused, eyes narrowing as his own words sank in. “And if you tell him, I swear on my future POLmArK career, I’ll toss your body into a lagoon myself. No one will ever find you.”

The laugh that broke free from Aurelia startled them both. A deep, genuine laugh that echoed through the house, sharp and sweet and painful all at once. She pressed a hand to her ribs, groaning through the sting but unwilling to regret it. She hadn’t laughed like that in so long.

When the moment passed, she turned to Owen, her smile fading into something reflective, her eyes damp but grateful.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “For being here. For being…you.”

The hard lines of Owen’s face relaxed, a rare warmth filling his expression. “Anytime, bestie.”

Aurelia exhaled a long, shaky breath.

“Believe it or not,” she said quietly, eyes distant as her thoughts swirled, “you’ve given me a lot to think about.”

Owen offered her a knowing smile. “Good. Just don’t take too long thinking about it. Even POLmArK movies only have a two-hour runtime before somebody makes a move.”

Aurelia’s lips twitched despite herself. For the first time since that awful night, she felt a sliver of something beyond heartbreak.

CHAPTER 51

Levi

The bright, cloudless sky over Joia City shimmered against glittering rooftops and the still, mirror-like waters of the lagoons. The world moved on, oblivious to the fact that, for Levi, everything had come to a full stop.

He stood motionless at the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office, his gaze fixed somewhere beyond the skyline, unblinking. As if the world outside might offer answers he couldn’t find within. It was all muted now, bland and tinged with gray.

Coming in today was a mistake.

Saturday morning, before Aurelia was discharged, he had done exactly as she asked and moved everything out of her house. He cleaned, organized, and virtually restored the place to how it was before he ever stepped inside her world.

It was the very least he could do after the way he had destroyed her trust.

He had tried to reach her again and again. He left messages and voicemails, but was met with silence. Levi would have gotten down on his knees and begged if she would let him. He didn’t care about pride. He only wanted the chance to apologize…and to see with his own eyes that she was okay.

But the silence spoke volumes.

As of an hour ago, his real estate agent had listed his mansion for sale. He couldn’t set foot in that house again. Not after knowing what a real home felt like.

He had crashed at Isaac’s place last night, but the luxurious guest suite was just a plush holding cell. Grace tried to be kind, her empathy tempered by loyalty to Aurelia. She had offered afew soft words and a disappointed look that hit harder than a fist to the jaw would have.

Ivy, on the other hand, had made her stance crystal clear. She hadn’t spoken to him unless it was work-related. He had never experienced the short, frigid, and calculated side of her directly. Not that he could blame her either…it just hurt more than he expected.