로그인“Ryan…”Ryan parked and grabbed her hand, leading her up the steps. “Welcome home,” he said softly. “Our first home. I thought it was only fitting that we start our marriage here.”Tears of joy filled her eyes. “It’s perfect.”He came around and helped her out of the car, then, in one swift motion,
The morning of the wedding day dawned clear and bright, the sky a perfect, cloudless blue. Elena stood before the full-length mirror, her heart beating a frantic, joyful rhythm against her ribs. Her fingers trembled slightly as she adjusted the thin veil over her hair.Today was the day. Her heart p
“Mom,” Ryan said, his voice unusually gentle. “There’s something I want to tell you.”Anna tilted her head, studying him. “You look too serious for this early in the day.”His lips curved faintly. “I wanted to tell you that Elena and I, we’re getting married.”Anna’s hand flew to her mouth. For a mo
The silence in the car as they drove away from her father’s house was different from the furious tension of the afternoon. Elena leaned her head against the cool window, watching the familiar streets of her old neighborhood blur past. Her hand rested loosely in Ryan’s, their fingers entwined as if n
That evening, Ryan led Elena to the Carter residence. She was quiet on the drive, her mind buzzing with apprehension. When they arrived, the lights were on inside, casting a warm, welcoming glow that felt like a lifetime ago to Elena. Her stomach was a tight ball of nerves. Ryan, sensing her anxiety
Elena’s sobs shook her shoulders as she stood in the living room. Ryan listened carefully, silent at first, giving her space to pour everything out. When her cries softened to ragged hiccups, he didn’t respond with words. He rose from the chair and with two long strides, he closed the distance betwe
Her chest tightened painfully. The thought of Ryan rejecting her felt like someone pressing shards of glass into her heart. She loved him, there was no denying that anymore. Every fiber of her being, every thought, every reckless beat of her heart screamed it. But she had no idea if Ryan felt even a
Enric’s eyes softened. "I am. It was a good trip."Elena wanted to ask more. She wanted to ask him what had changed, why he looked so light, to pry into the peace she hadn’t seen in him since her mother’s passing, but she didn’t. She held her tongue. Some questions didn’t need answers. Happiness wa
Elena pulled away slightly, lowering her gaze. The sting of those words pierced her, though she knew Avonlea wasn’t wrong.“I know,” she whispered. “I didn’t listen. I thought I could handle it. But I… I can’t. Because I love him, Ava, and he doesn’t feel the same.”Her voice cracked again on the wo
The world was a prison of darkness and his scent. Sandalwood, cedar, and the faint, clean smell of his skin, it was an aroma that had haunted her dreams and her waking nightmares for a month. It was the scent of her own undoing. Her whole body tensed, heart hammering against her ribs as the rough







