Chapter 109 Daring Astrid

• ~Elara~
• The next morning, as sunlight streamed through the windows of the packhouse, I stirred from sleep, feeling a sense of calm wash over me. The tension from the previous day had eased, though it lingered in the back of my mind like a stubborn shadow. I had spent the night replaying everything Lucian had said, every word of reassurance that I wasn’t alone in this, and our kiss, short but deep meant a lot to me. I wasn’t going anywhere. It felt like a small victory, but I still had a long way to go.
• I was just pulling myself from bed when the door opened, and there he was—Lucian, with a smile on his face that I hadn’t seen in days. His mood seemed lighter, his usual stern expression replaced with something softer, something that made my heart flutter in a way I couldn’t control.