EPILOGUE
**One Year Later**
The sun bathed the beautiful countryside in a warm, golden glow, casting long shadows over the cobbled path that led to a rustic stone villa perched on a hill.
The scent of lavender and rosemary drifted lazily through the breeze, mixing with the sound of laughter and the clinking of wine glasses. The villa was alive with warmth, the quiet buzz of celebration echoing across the gardens as twilight descended like a sigh over the earth.
Arianna stood barefoot in the garden, her white sundress fluttering gently around her ankles as she cradled a cup of chamomile tea in her hands. Her long, honey-brown hair fell in soft waves down her back, catching the last rays of sunlight.
The glow of golden hour wrapped around her like a halo. She closed her eyes, breathing in the peace of the moment, her soul finally unburdened by the darkness that had once chased her.
A soft rustle behind her brought a familiar warmth to her chest.
"You always find the most beautiful places to stand," Xander murmured, slipping his arms around her waist from behind.
She leaned into his embrace, her smile blooming effortlessly.
"You always find me."
His lips brushed the top of her shoulder, lingering for a beat.
"Of course I do. You’re the reason I breathe."
A year had passed since the night that changed everything.
A year since Harmony's lies crumbled under the weight of truth.
It was a year since Xander carried Arianna out of that cursed house, vowing never to let go again.
And he hadn’t.
They'd left the city behind, trading glass towers and haunted memories for sunsets and rolling hills. Here, in the quiet sanctuary of Tuscany, they'd built something real—a home, a life, a promise.
The villa was theirs now. Bought with quiet determination and rebuilt with laughter and late nights, it had become a place of healing.
Stone by stone, it reflected their resilience.
Room by room, it held their story—etched into the walls like poetry.
Arianna turned in Xander’s arms, placing her tea down and wrapping her arms around his neck. Her eyes, brighter now, clearer, searched his face.
"You still look at me like I’m your whole world."
"That’s because you are," he whispered.
"Every single day, I wake up and I can’t believe I get to love you."
She leaned in and kissed him, soft and slow, tasting sunshine and safety. It was the kind of kiss that said we survived.
"Dance with me," she said against his lips.
There was no music playing, just the rustling of trees and the hum of life. But that was enough. In the middle of their garden, with fireflies beginning to dance between the flowers, Xander held her close and swayed.
No rhythm, no steps. Just heartbeats.
The stars began to prick the sky.
"Do you remember the first time you kissed me?" she asked, resting her head against his chest.
He smiled into her hair, his voice low and full of memory.
“Of course, I remember. You’d just been discharged from the hospital—after throwing yourself in front of a bullet for me.”
She let out a soft laugh against his chest.
“It was pouring,” he went on.
“You were about to get into the car, soaked to the bone, and before you could get in—I grabbed you. Kissed you like a madman.”
“You were a madman,” she teased.
“And an arrogant madman.”
He chuckled. “Still am.....a man mad about you”
She looked up at him, eyes dancing.
“And I kissed you back.”
He pressed his forehead to hers.
“You did....”
They stood like that for a long time, wrapped in the silence only soulmates understand. The past lingered in the edges of their minds—a reminder of how far they'd come.
But it didn’t haunt them anymore.
.......
Later that night, when the stars hung low and the villa had gone quiet, Arianna stood with Xander on the balcony, wrapped in his arms.
Her head rested against his chest, rising and falling with the rhythm of his breaths, the night air cool around them, and the world holding its breath in stillness.
"Do you ever think about what might've happened... if things had gone differently?" she asked.
His hand stroked her back, slow and steady.
"I used to. But not anymore. Because even with the pain, the chaos, the heartbreak—it all led me to you. And I’d go through every bit of it again if it meant ending up here."
She looked up at him. "You really mean that?"
He cupped her face, his thumb brushing her cheek.
"With everything I am."
Arianna placed her hand over his heart.
"It still scares me sometimes. How close we came to losing it all."
"I know. But we didn’t. You fought your way back to me. And I fought for you. And we won."
He pressed a tender kiss to the top of her head, his heart swelling with words too big to keep inside any longer.
Then, with a quiet breath and a love that trembled in his bones, Xander gently pulled away.
And dropped to one knee.
Arianna blinked, startled. “Xander… what are you doing?”
He looked up at her, eyes shining with so much love it hurt, and something else—something older.
Regret.
“I’m proposing,” he said softly.
She giggled, covering her mouth with her fingers.
“We’re already married, silly.”
His smile faltered, just a little.
“Yes. But the first time—I left you at the altar.”
Her breath caught. His voice was low, thick with remorse.
“I stood there in that suit, waiting for you—knowing in my gut you were coming, and knowing I was about to shatter your world. Because I let fear sink its teeth into me. I let doubt twist the truth. And instead of reaching for the woman I loved, I turned my back. I left you standing there… alone, exposed, humiliated—your heart in your hands. That moment didn’t just haunt me, Arianna. It marked me. It branded itself into my soul. And I’ve lived with it every single day, wishing—aching—that I had just stayed.”
Her smile faded, replaced by something softer—understanding.
"X-Xander
Xander swallowed, his voice breaking as he went on.
“The second time… we married under a contract. You didn’t even know you were marrying me. You didn’t know the truth, and I robbed you of the choice. I stole that moment from you, the one every girl dreams of. You deserved more than manipulation and secrets.”
Tears glistened in her eyes now.
“This time,” he said, his voice steadier as he pulled out a small velvet box,
“This time, I want to do it right—no contracts to bind us, no lies between us, no shadows from the past clinging to our steps. Just you… in white, radiant as the day I first knew I loved you. With all our people there, watching us choose each other—freely, fully, forever.”
He opened the box and inside sat a ring that sparkled like starlight—delicate, elegant, breathtaking.
"It's beautiful"
He looked up at her, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"Will you marry me again, Arianna King? Not because we’re bound by circumstance—but because we want to. Because after everything, you still choose me. And make me the happiest man in the world."
Arianna gasped, her hands trembling as she knelt with him, cradling his face between her palms.
“Yes,” she whispered, tears falling freely.
“Yes. A thousand times, yes.”
He stood, pulling her up with him, and kissed her hard—desperate and full of joy, like he was sealing a vow with the very air between them.
Then, without warning, he scooped her into his arms, his laughter rumbling against her lips. She squealed, giggling as her arms wrapped around his neck.
"Xander! What are you doing?" she laughed breathlessly.
He grinned, eyes gleaming. "Celebrating."
But just as he began to carry her toward the bed, a tiny, high-pitched wail echoed from down the hall.
They both froze.
Xander groaned, resting his forehead against hers.
“My son, Xavier King… truly has perfect timing. A born cockblocker.”
Arianna laughed, snorting as she pulled away and kissed him one last time.
“I’ll go.”
“Come back quickly!” he called after her dramatically.
She disappeared into the nursery, and a moment later returned with a tiny bundle swaddled in pale blue.
Their two-month-old baby boy blinked sleepily, rubbing his little fists.
Xander melted the second he saw them.
He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around them both, one hand on Xavier’s small back, the other on Arianna’s waist.
“Look at you,” he whispered, brushing a kiss to his son’s forehead.
“You’re going to grow up knowing what love looks like. You’ll see it every day. In the way I look at your mother, and the way she never stops fighting for the people she loves.”
Arianna rested her head on his shoulder, and the three of them stood there in the quiet hush of night.
Wrapped in warmth.
In safety.
In forever.
And Xander whispered, more to himself than to either of them:
“This… this is everything.”
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