Chapter 17 49 % 0 X I didn't turn . He walked over slowly and knelt in front of me . His hands were careful when he took the glass out of mine . He didn't scold . Didn't panic . He just held my bleeding hand in his and looked up at me . " You're a glass , " he said softly , " already shattered . " I swallowed hard . " Then leave me that way . " " No , " he replied . " Not this time . This time , I'll be the one to fix you . Piece by piece . " I looked at him through tears that wouldn't stop falling . " Why ? " He pressed his lips to my knuckles , careful of the cut . " Consider it pity , " he said . " Or devotion . Doesn't matter . I'm not going anywhere . " And for the first time that night , I let myself lean into him . Because even if he was dangerous , he wasn't the one who broke me . ** Next morning , I woke up in silk sheets that didn't smell like fear or bleach or cheap perfume . Just lavender and ocean wind and something like safety . I blinked at the high ceilings of Ephraim's estate and took a deep breath , like my lungs were finally allowed to expand . There were no angry footsteps down the hall . No shouting . No slammed doors . Just the slow rhythm of something I never thought I'd feel again peace . Ephraim was already dressed and halfway through his second espresso . He looked at me like he'd been waiting hours just to see me blink . " We're going to Valverra Heights ," he said . I sat up slowly . " What's in Valverra ? " " My family , " he said , with a smirk that made me nervous and warm all at once . " And yours too , soon enough . " The drive was long and quiet . The kind of quiet that didn't scream . It wrapped around me like a blanket instead of a chokehold . And when we finally arrived , I had to remind myself to breathe . Valverra Heights didn't look real . Olive trees lined the cobblestone path and sunlight spilled over everything like honey . The estate had towers and verandas and that old - money kind of quiet confidence . I thought I'd feel out of place . But the moment we stepped out of the car , they were already waiting . Mr. Aldric Lambert and Madam Celeste stood by the front entrance like they weren't just rich but royal . Celeste walked straight to me and held my hands . Her eyes were soft and sharp all at once . " So here's the girl who softened my son's sharp tongue , " she said , and her voice didn't carry Chapter 16 312 19 59 % 22:10 Sun , Aug 10 * .49 % X judgement , just curiosity and something frighteningly close to love . Before I could even stammer out a response … They handed me legal papers next . Proof of ownership . A villa in Mirador Cove . A mansion in Bellisario Hills . Three hundred bars of ancestral gold . All in my name . I stared at the documents like they might vanish . Ephraim chuckled beside me . " You can say no . But it'll break my mother's heart . And she rarely asks twice . " I looked at Celeste again . Her eyes were misty . " We just want you to finally have something that is only yours , " she said . That did it . I nodded , not trusting my voice . And for the first time in years , I felt like someone gave me something without expecting me to bleed for it . Later , while Ephraim and Aldric disappeared into the wine cellar , Celeste led me to a sunroom filled with orchids and old books . She handed me a porcelain cup and said , " I'm hosting a tea party this Saturday at Rosevale Court . I would be honored if you came with me . " I hesitated , but before I could answer , Ephraim reappeared and smirked . " Mother , " he said , " she's going to be my wife . That means you can't borrow her anymore . " Celeste laughed . " I didn't know my son was this deeply in love . " I looked away , blushing , feeling too seen . Too held . She leaned in and said softly , " You don't have to say yes . But if you want a fresh start … this could be one . " ** Saturday came faster than I expected . Ephraim sent over a dress in silver silk . It was soft and expensive and clearly designed to make a statement . There were gloves too . And an amethyst hairpin I knew came from his grandmother's vault . I wore it all , hesitantly . I still didn't know how to dress like someone who was wanted . Rosevale Court looked like it belonged in another century . The garden was exploding with roses and the air was thick with harp music and money . Real money . Not the kind that bragged , but the kind that whispered and watched . And then I heard her . That voice . Torren's mother . Loud and rude and fake as ever . She was scolding a poor maid about the tea temperature and flashing her diamonds like they meant something . She didn't even see me at first . Too busy being important . But then she turned . And har fann ahanand Chapter 17 2/2 50.5 % 22:11 Sun , Aug 10 …. 49 % X And her face changed . She narrowed her eyes . " What are you doing here ? " Before I could open my mouth , Celeste stepped beside me like a silent storm . " She's with me ," she said . Torren's mother stiffened . " You must be mistaken . That woman is- " Celeste didn't let her finish . Her smile was calm , but sharp enough to draw blood . " She's about to become a Lambert . Which means she's not that woman . She's ours now . " I didn't say a word . I didn't have to . Because for the first time in my life … someone said ours , and meant me . Chapter 17