---- Chapter 10 Erika POV: The week before the wedding, | had to fly to a small coastal town for a final business acquisition. It was a quaint, charming place, with cobblestone streets and salty air. | finished my meetings early and decided to take a walk, to clear my head before returning to the whirlwind of wedding planning. | turned a corner and stopped. There, through the large glass window of a little shop called "The Salty Dog Bookstore," | saw him. It was Coleton. He was tanner, his hair a little longer, but the haunted look in his eyes was gone. He looked... calm. He was kneeling on the floor, patiently showing a picture book to a little girl with bright red pigtails. He pointed at a drawing of a whale, and the little girl giggled, clapping her hands. He looked up then, as if sensing my presence, and our eyes met through the glass. The world seemed to hold its breath. A thousand possible scenarios ran through my head. | could walk in. | could turn ---- and run. He could come out He did none of those things. He simply looked at me, a flicker of surprise in his eyes that quickly softened into something else. Acceptance. He gave me a small, almost imperceptible nod. And then, he smiled. It wasn't a big smile. It was a quiet, gentle thing, tinged with a sadness that would likely never leave him. But it was genuine. It was peace. In that smile, | understood. He had let me go. Truly. | didn' t go into the bookstore. | didn' t need to. | just turned and walked away, but this time, it felt different. A weight | hadn't even realized | was carrying lifted from my shoulders. The tight, invisible cord that had connected us for so long, a bond of love and then of pain, finally, gently, snapped. | didn' t look back. On the flight home, soaring above the clouds, a memory surfaced. Coleton, years ago, in our rundown college apartment, holding me in his arms after I' d failed a major exam. "Don't worry," he had whispered into my hair, his voice full of a fierce, youthful certainty. "One day, I' m going to give you the world." Back then, his eyes had been so bright, so full of love, and they had only seen me. A single tear, hot and unexpected, escaped and trickled down my cheek. It wasn't a tear for him. It wasn' t even a tear for the love we had lost. It was a tear for the two kids we had ---- been, so full of dreams and naive hope. It was a tear for the five years we had tried, for the shared journey that had simply, sadly, reached its end. The engagement party was a lavish affair, exactly as my mother had planned. Standing beside Bret as he made a toast, | felt his hand find mine, his thumb gently stroking my knuckles. He leaned in, his voice a low whisper meant only for me. "Are you okay?" | looked up at him. The lights of the ballroom caught in his kind, steady eyes. He was a good man. He was my future. The chaotic, painful, beautiful, and devastating chapter of Coleton Ruiz was finally, completely, over. The noise of the party, the clinking glasses, the swell of the orchestra-it all faded into a distant hum. For the first time in a very long time, my heart felt quiet. | squeezed his hand and gave him a real smile, a genuine, unburdened smile that reached my eyes. "I'm perfect," | said. Outside, the moon was bright and clear. My new life was just beginning. Title: A Princess? No! I'm the Female General! In "A Princess? No! I'm the Female General!" by CrushReel, Adela Taylor, a noble family's daughter, disguises herself as her brother to secure their Duke title by joining the army. Despite facing obstacles, she achieves remarkable success. However, upon her triumphant return, her brother betrays her, setting off a chain of events that will test her resolve and reveal hidden truths. This captivating novel delves into themes of secrets, reincarnation, revenge, murder, and drama. Adela's journey from deception to betrayal is filled with intrigue and suspense as she navigates through a world where power dynamics and family loyalties collide. What sets this story apart is its strong female lead who defies expectations and challenges societal norms in a quest for justice and redemption. Experience the riveting tale of Adela Taylor online at CrushReel and witness the transformation of a princess into a formidable female general.