Chapter 25

I pushed aside all my work and stayed at the Donovan estate to take care of Pierce.

I cooked his favorite dishes and stayed by his side, watching as the pallor of his face slowly gave way to a faint blush. He often smiled softly, gently caressing my cheek, and each day, his spirits lifted a little more.

Under my care, the violent coughing that had plagued him for so long finally began to ease. The once dim and dreary bedroom now welcomed a bit of light.

When his body was too weak to move, I would push his wheelchair around the house and garden, showing him the flowers I had recently planted. The warm breeze carried the scent of blooms, and as I tucked my windblown hair back, I leaned in to kiss him on the cheek.

Pierce seemed flustered by the kiss, gripping the arms of the wheelchair so tightly his knuckles turned white. He reached for my hand, and I knelt beside him, carefully resting my head against his shoulder.

Before us stretched a field of flowers swaying in the wind.

It was th