Chapter 35: A New Beginning

The sun was rising when they finally stopped running.

Nathaniel and Sabrina sat in the car, parked at the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. The air smelled of salt and freedom, but neither of them spoke for a long time.

Sabrina reached for Nathaniel's hand, squeezing it tightly. "What happens now?"

Nathaniel exhaled, his grip tightening around hers. "We start over."

She let out a soft, shaky laugh. "Just like that?"

He turned to her, his expression unreadable. "We have no choice."

Victor was still alive. Even though they had escaped, Knight Industries would not let them get away so lightly.

Sabrina knew that. But, for the first time in a long time, she decided to believe in something greater.

In them.

One Year Later

The life they built wasn't perfect.

But it was theirs.

Nathaniel had driven them far away, to a peaceful village where no one knew their names. Sabrina had found work at a tiny bookstore. Nathaniel kept a low profile, but his protective instincts never changed.

They didn't talk about their past much.

But some nights, when the world was quiet, Nathaniel would pull her close and whisper, "I'll keep you safe."

And Sabrina knew he meant it.

Their love had been forged in danger, in betrayal, in blood.

But it had survived.

And that was enough.

One evening, as they watched the sunset from their small balcony, Sabrina turned to Nathaniel.

"Do you regret it?" she asked.

He looked at her for a long time before shaking his head. "No."

"Even after everything we lost?"

Nathaniel smiled—a real, genuine smile. "We didn't lose, Sabrina. We won."

And as he kissed her, she realized he was right.

The price of loyalty had been high.

But the price of love?

It was worth it.