Chapter 2042

Nathaniel nodded once, a solemn vow rather than a gesture.

“But if he contacts you again, promise you’ll tell me anything at all. No secrets,” he said, the plea wrapped in quiet steel.

“All right.” Her answer was immediate, unburdened. She lowered his hand from her face, fingers sliding down until their palms fit together. “Let’s go home.”

Their fingers threaded, and a calm he had never known seeped into Nathaniel’s bones.

The world felt newly fragile; he feared her slipping away, feared someone stealing her as easily as a gust snatches a loose leaf.

“Ceci, you do love me, don’t you?” he asked suddenly while they walked.

She stopped, eyebrows raised in amused disbelief. “We’re practically an old married couple, and we have four children. Talking about ‘love’ now is downright childish.”