Finding Peace, Not Love

grand hall cast a brilliant light on the

her engagement gala to Arthur, the renowned art deale

er hand resting in the crook of his arm, a

icrophone, a charmi

elebrate with us," he began, h

ushed through the crowd, h

something in

s face vanished, rep

is grip on her arm ti

he said, his voic

s condition has wor

s hea

widow of Arthur' s late brother, was

e felt a duty to car

anaged to say, forci

handle th

was gone, following his assistant out of the packed hall, leavin

ely, a wave of pity and spec

of public shame

her fiancé had just abandoned her f

t, Chloe slipped into the small

reathe, to compose herself be

he door, she heard

assistant, talk

al now," the assistant said, hi

He still loves her, always has. He told me himself this marriage to Chloe is just... an obligation. A way to finally set

e with the force o

the doorknob, unable to

iga

lo

emories wash

Arthur' s brother died

a wreck, a man s

llery, stopped eati

young protégée at the ti

dark apartment, to make sure he ate, to lis

er on hold, pouring all her energy

d been his rock, his

world, creating pieces that reflecte

elationship shifted from mentor and student

as the culmination of that shared journey,

ew it was

sn't

t he felt he

lization threatened to crush h

ere, a triumphant

t at the

ressed in wo

unning evening gown,

e," Isabella said, her voice

ft you like that. But little Leo was so insistent on

pieces clicking into plac

hloe asked, her voic

the car," Isabella said,

an' t help it. A man' s heart wants wha

p and looked down

loe. But you were never going

deliberate provocation, a

self appeared in the

lla' s smug expression, and a flicker of someth

to wait in the car," h

is expression softening in

kay? I' m so sorr

a surge o

om his face t

you, Arthur," she said, he

u can be with her. You can have

eyes widen

We' re getting married. This i

but his touch felt p

but he didn' t want

t a small cry and stumble

y. The stress... I think..

ba

s hung i

ward Isabella, his face a

orting her, his voice a fra

even look b

s heart didn' t just

he concerned man, the fragile woman, the

ider, the inconv

e of calm, Chloe tu

fingers moving with a purpos

s looking for, a number she

lery, the man Isabella was supposed to marry in a strat

g twice befor

, her voice stea

ered Isabella... is it still o