Chapter 13
Three days had passed since the dramatic raid at the corporate tower, three days filled with debriefings, legal depositions, and the quiet, agonizing work of picking up the shattered pieces of their lives. The federal task force had confirmed that Arthur Vance’s network was completely dismantled, his hidden assets seized, and his legal team left without a defense. Julian had cooperated fully, laying bare every detail of his past involvement and accepting the probationary terms imposed by the court for his early compliance. Yet, despite the exhaustion that hung over them like a heavy fog, an unspoken sentiment lingered in the small, temporary apartment they had rented on the edge of the city. They had survived the storm, but the celebration of their union had been violently interrupted before it ever truly began.
It was late afternoon when Julian walked into the sparse living room carrying a small cardboard box of essentials, his short brown hair neatly combed, dressed in a simple button-down shirt and trousers. He found Elena sitting on the window ledge, staring out at the bustling street below, holding a cold cup of coffee. She looked tired, dark circles shadowing her expressive eyes, but there was a profound lightness in her posture that had been missing since the moment they met in the hallway on their wedding night. Julian set the box down quietly and walked over, stopping a few feet away. He hesitated for a moment, his hands resting in his pockets, before speaking. "The venue called this morning," he said softly, his voice carrying a tentative hope. "They offered us the garden pavilion for this coming Saturday. No press, no ghosts, no complications."
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Elena turned her head slowly, her dark brown eyes locking onto his. A slow, breathtaking smile spread across her face, melting away the lingering shadows of the past week. She stood up from the window ledge, walking toward him with a grace that took his breath away. "Did they?" she murmured, her voice steady and warm. "And what about the groom? Is he planning on running away to check his spreadsheets this time?" Julian let out a quiet, genuine laugh, shaking his head as he reached out to take her hands in his. They were warm, steady, and entirely real. "The spreadshe
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