Page 166 of The Colour of Revenge

"Well, that and lavender diffusers," he says finally, breaking the tension with an easy grin. "Pretty sure you've started a cult of essential oils."

A laugh escapes me, short but real.

I've come a long way. But the past is still a shadow I carry. Some days, it's lighter. Others, it feels like a boulder strapped to my chest.

“They’re strong,” I say softly, more to myself than to him. “Stronger than they know. They just… need time to see it.”

“And you’re helping them see it.” Nate moves closer, his fingers brushing against mine as he takes the folder from me. “Come on. You’ve done enough for today. Let’s get out of here.”

I hesitate, glancing back at the room—it’s become a sanctuary for so many. For me, too.

“Carina,” Nate says, his voice pulling me back. “You’ve earned a break.”

I exhale, nodding. “Okay. Just let me grab my things.”

As we step outside, the evening air cools the heat in my chest. Nate slides his hand into mine, his thumb tracing slow, comforting circles against my skin.

"You've really built something here," he murmurs, tilting his head toward the building. Haven. A place of safety, of second chances. The kind of place I once needed more than air.

I shake my head. "We built something."

He stops walking. Turns to face me fully, green eyes locking onto mine.

"You give me too much credit, Princess. This—what you're doing—it's all you. And it's incredible."

The words hit deeper than they should. I feel the heat rise to my cheeks, but I don't look away.

"It's not just for them," I admit quietly. "It's for me too. Every time I see one of them smile, even just a little… it feels like I'm reclaiming a piece of myself."

"And you are."

We fall into silence, but it's a different kind of quiet now. Heavier. Charged with something unspoken.

I swallow, suddenly unsteady. "You know, I never thought I'd find peace after…everything. But this—helping them—it's the closest I've come."

Nate squeezes my hand, his grip firm, grounding. "You deserve peace, Carina. And whatever it takes to get you there, I'll make sure you have it."

Something inside me wavers and cracks just a little.

I glance up at him, a small, aching smile tugging at my lips.

"You already have."

Epilogue

One month later…

Nate

Thebastard’sscreamtearsthrough the room, raw and jagged, slicing through the air like my blade through flesh. The scent of blood—sharp, metallic, almost sweet—coils in my lungs, grounding me in the moment.

I tighten my grip on the handle, feeling the weight settle into my palm like an old habit. Some things you never forget.

Beside me, Carina is a vision of cold, lethal grace. Her pink hair catches the dim, flickering light, the only vivid thing in this room of white and crimson. Her eyes are steady, unreadable, locked onto the trembling man bound to the chair.

“You know,” I murmur to her, low and steady, “I almost forgot how good we are at this.”

She doesn’t look at me, but the corner of her mouth lifts, just barely. “Almost?”