The mansion stood quiet under the
golden glow of the late afternoon sun. The storm had passed, leaving the air crisp and clean, as if the very walls of the estate had exhaled a long-held breath.
In the garden, Max lay stretched out
under a tree, his tail lazily wagging as he watched the two figures on the stone path ahead.
Isabelle stood with her arms crossed
gazing at the greenhouse-the place
where it all began. Where she first saw the paw prints in the mud. Where she first felt the weight of the secrets hidden within these walls.
And yet, standing here now…it no longer felt haunted.
A familiar presence moved beside her.
Julian.
He slid his hands into his pockets
glancing at her. “You never answered me.”
Isabelle inhaled. She had been waiting for this moment, yet now that it was here, she wasn’t sure what to say.
She turned to face him. “What if we’re too damaged, Julian? What if we only found each other because of the darkness?”
Julian held her gaze, stepping closer “And what if we found each other despite it?”
The silence between them was heavy-charged with everything they had been through.
He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. A touch so simple, yet it unraveled something deep inside her.
“I don’t know what happens next,
Isabelle,” Julian admitted, his voice
quieter now. “But I know that for the first time in years, I don’t want to be alone.”
Her heart clenched.
Max lifted his head, watching them
expectantly, as if he too was waiting for her answer.
Isabelle exhaled a soft laugh, shaking her head. “You and Max…always making things difficult for me.”
Julian smirked.
“That’s not a no.”
She bit her lip, holding back a smile.
Then, with a deep breath, she finally
whispered-“No, it’s not.”
Julian’s expression softened. He stepped even closer, until there was nothing petween them but the unspoken promise of something new.
Max barked once, breaking the moment.
They both laughed.
The mansion behind them had been a place of ghosts. A place of loss.
But now, it was simply a place where their story would continue.
And for the first time, Isabelle wasn’t
afraid of what came next.
