EllaThe courtroom was silent when Logan and I were called up to the stand. It had been two weeks since the night that Logan was arrested; two weeks of paperwork, late nights spent in my office, of what-ifs and trying to track down Marina and Harry, who had dropped off the face of the earth and left no trace of their crimes.But not all was lost. I may not have been able to put them behind bars just yet, but I could keep Logan from that fate.
EllaLogan and I walked out of the cemetery with a newfound resolve in our steps. Leonard’s ashes had been buried, right at the corner of the family plot—a plot which, in Logan’s words, had no more space for others. Leonard had been the last, and I think that was a good thing.We drove in silence to Leonard’s mansion after that. Everything in the will had been left to Marina and Harry, although they only took the money and valuables and ran. But given their sudden
LoganThe little ornate silver box that Ella held in her hands seemed oddly familiar, yet also somehow foreign at the same time. When she opened it, though, recognition slowly began to wash over me.Nights sitting on my mother’s lap at her vanity began to trickle back in. I remembered this little box; she had always kept her keepsakes in there, along with some makeup. Even now, all these years later, I could still recall watching as she would open the box before a night out.
EllaThe weeks following the funeral passed by in a blur. Logan and I settled into a new form of comfortable, whatever ‘comfortable’ even was anymore. I was still living in his mansion for the time being, although it was becoming more out of habit than necessity.After everything, I couldn’t sleep at night. Neither could he. We needed each other if we were going to stay sane.
Ella“Will you marry me?”As I stared incredulously down at the man kneeling in front of me, all I could do was blink at him, my hand clamped over my mouth. Neither of us said anything for a long time before Logan finally cleared his throat.“Ella?”
EllaI stepped into the office the next morning with a smile on my face despite the early hour. It was an overcast morning with gray skies and a slight drizzle of unexpected rain, but it did nothing to put out the fire in my eyes. As I rushed toward the breakroom, all I could think about was showing Sarah the ring on my finger.And besides, I had a question for her.
Ella“Sit down. Both of you.”Sarah and I exchanged wary glances. Her face was just as pale as mine probably was, and I felt a wrench in my stomach.“But Mr. Henderson, Sarah never—”
EllaThe months following Logan’s and my engagement was a whirlwind of change. We sold Logan’s mansion to a wealthy family from out of the area, and before I knew it, we were moving into our new home.It was a 1920s Spanish-style home, with warm stucco walls and breezy windows. The first floor was open concept, and I could already picture all of the wonderful parties we could have here. I fell in love with it immediately.