Chapter 19

• The quiet coastal town of Seabrook held a strange familiarity for Cleo. It wasn’t a place she’d ever visited before, but the salty air, the rhythmic crash of waves against the shore, the scent of pine and brine – it all resonated with a deep, buried memory, a feeling of homecoming tinged with melancholy. It was here, in a small, secluded cottage overlooking the ocean, that they decided to finally confront the ghosts of their past.
• Rowan had found the cottage through a contact in his old network, a secluded haven far from prying eyes. It was small, rustic, but possessed a certain charm, a quiet intimacy that felt strangely right. The flickering fireplace cast long, dancing shadows across the worn wooden floors, creating an atmosphere of both warmth and introspection. The ocean’s ceaseless rhythm provided a calming backdrop to their conversation, a comforting counterpoint to the emotional turmoil that threatened to consume them.
• "I never told you why I left," Cleo began, her voice barely a whisper, her eyes fixed on the dancing flames. The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken pain, a confession long overdue. She traced the rim of her coffee cup, her knuckles white against the ceramic. "It wasn’t just about the pressure from my family. It was about me. I was… broken. I felt unworthy of your love, of the future you envisioned."