Chapter 20
Damien stood on a street corner in Seabrook, the salty sea air whipping against his face. He stared at the unfamiliar, bustling town,
his eyes dark and weary.
It had been a month. He had turned over every stone in Seabrook, but there was still no sign of Elara. The lead his assistant had
found only confirmed she had bought a plane ticket here. But the town was so much bigger than he’d expected. Where could she
be hiding?
Damien rubbed his temples. The constant searching had left dark circles under his eyes. He glanced at his watch. It was already
nine at night. The streets were beginning to empty.
He walked aimlessly, his eyes scanning every person he passed, terrified he might miss her.
Suddenly, he stopped dead.
A short distance ahead, a woman in a white dress stood under a streetlight, her back to him. The slender silhouette, the way her
hair lifted in the breeze… it was so much like Elara.
Damien’s heart seized in his chest, his blood roaring in his ears.
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He ran, almost unconsciously, and grabbed her wrist. His voice was hoarse, desperate. “Elara!”
The woman gasped and spun around–it was a stranger’s face.
“Who are you?!” she cried, yanking her arm away and stumbling back.
Damien stood frozen, the light in his eyes instantly extinguished.
It wasn’t her…
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དད་ཡད་ད་ན་ན་བད་།དེ་ནས
He looked out at the sea of faces around him and let out a laugh, a sound that was both hoarse and bitter.
He pulled out his phone and called his assistant. “Keep looking… Turn this entire town upside down if you have to. Find her.”
Hanging up, he looked up at the night sky, his expression stubborn, almost manic.
Elara, where in the world are you…
The morning sun filtered through the white lace curtains
washed over her. She took a deep breath, a small smile
opened the window, and the fresh sea breeze, tinged with salt,
“her lips.
This bed–and–breakfast was hers, purchased with a portion of the money. A small, three–story building facing the sea, its garden filled with roses and lisianthus she had planted herself. Every morning, she would cut a few fresh blooms to place in each of the
rooms.
“Elara, breakfast smells amazing today!” A group of college students on summer break, who were staying at her B&B, waved at her
from the dining area below.
She smiled back. “Glad you like it. There’s more in the kitchen if you’re still hungry.”
She turned to go downstairs. As she stepped into the garden, she saw Liam approaching with
bag of fresh fish.
a
“Just caught this morning at the docks. I’ll make you a soup for lunch,” he said, holding up the bag with a warm smile.
Elara took it, her fingertips accidentally brushing against his. A jolt of warmth shot up her arm. They both froze for a second, then quickly looked away.
Over the past few months, Liam had become the most familiar part of her new life. He was like a beam of light in her once–dim world. The old Elara had always lived in someone else’s shadow, a ghost without her own thoughts or desires. His presence had
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Chapter 20
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shown her that she, too, was worthy of being cared for, that she had the right to want things for herself.
“Oh, by the way, I saw you watching that video about crème brûlée the other day,” Elara said, taking a container from the freezer. Inside was a set of puddings with a perfectly torched sugar crust on top. She had made them specially that morning.
A look of pure delight lit up Liam’s eyes. “I knew you’d make it for me.”
He eagerly took a spoonful. The taste was rich, sweet, and creamy. He, who usually disliked sweets, ate three in a row.
“This is better than what you get at a five–star hotel,” Liam praised her sincerely.
“Then I’ll make it for you more often,” Elara said, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled.
Liam nodded, his gaze lingering on her face, a hesitant look in his eyes.
“What is it?” she asked.
He paused, then just shook his head. “Nothing. It’s just… you look really good now.”
Much better than when she had first arrived in Seabrook, the girl who would just stare out at the sea for hours.
Elara was taken aback for a moment, then she let out a soft laugh. “Yes. This place suits’me.”
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