Chapter 28

• The salty air whipped through Cleo's hair as she stood on the windswept cliff overlooking the churning Atlantic. The rhythmic crash of waves against the rocks was a soothing counterpoint to the turmoil that still occasionally surfaced within her. This remote coastal cottage in Cornwall, a world away from the sun-drenched hills of Tuscany, felt like a fitting new chapter. It wasn't the vibrant, bustling life they had envisioned in Italy, but it held a different kind of beauty, a quiet strength that mirrored their own journey.
• Rowan joined her, his arm wrapping around her waist, pulling her close. The gesture was simple, yet it conveyed a depth of comfort and security that words could never express. He was different now, too. The haunted look in his eyes, the ever-present shadow of vengeance, had finally lifted. The anger that had consumed him for so long had been replaced by a quiet serenity, a gentle strength that emanated from deep within.
• "It's…different," Cleo murmured, her gaze fixed on the restless ocean. "But it feels…right."