CHAPTER 30

Chapter 30 – A Night of Forever

The night was quiet, but the silence between them was anything but empty. It was filled with the unspoken, the promises they were still learning how to voice, and the weight of a love that had settled deeply into their bones.

Serena stood on the penthouse balcony, her fingers wrapped around the key Elias had given her. The city stretched before her, a sea of lights twinkling like stars.

She belonged here now. With him.

She felt him before she saw him—the warmth of his presence, the quiet strength of the man who had somehow become her home.

Elias stepped behind her, his arms slipping around her waist as he pulled her back against his chest. "Regretting your decision yet?"

Serena smiled, leaning into him. "Not even a little."

Elias's lips found the curve of her shoulder, his breath warm against her skin. "Good."

Serena closed her eyes, letting herself sink into the moment, into him. "Did you ever think we'd end up here?"

Elias chuckled softly. "Honestly? No. I thought you'd fight me forever."

She turned in his arms, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. "Maybe I just got tired of fighting."

His eyes darkened, his fingers brushing against her cheek. "Or maybe you finally realized we were inevitable."

Serena's breath caught. Because he was right.

They were inevitable.

---

An Evening Drenched in Love

Back inside, the penthouse was dimly lit, the golden glow of candles flickering along the dining table.

Serena blinked in surprise. "Did you…?"

Elias smirked, pulling out a chair for her. "You think I don't know how to be romantic?"

Serena laughed, sitting down. "I think you like to surprise me."

Elias poured them both a glass of wine, his gaze never leaving hers. "You bring that out in me."

Her heart skipped.

Elias Carter, the man who once thrived on control, was willing to let her shake his world.

Dinner was slow, filled with laughter, stolen glances, and the kind of teasing that made her stomach flip.

But the air between them grew heavier with each passing moment, the tension crackling like a slow-burning fire.

When Serena set her glass down, Elias reached across the table, his fingers trailing along hers.

"Dance with me," he murmured.

Serena raised an eyebrow. "You dance?"

Elias smirked. "For you, I do."

---

A Dance to Remember

The music was slow, the melody weaving around them like a whispered secret.

Elias pulled her close, his hand resting low on her back, his other hand lacing with hers.

Serena melted into him, her cheek resting against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

They swayed together, moving in perfect sync, as if they had been dancing like this forever.

Elias pressed his lips against her hair. "Tell me something, Serena."

She smiled against his shirt. "Like what?"

He tilted her chin up, his gaze searching hers. "Tell me what you see when you look at me."

Serena's breath hitched.

Because there was a time when she would have answered differently.

But now?

Now, she saw everything.

"I see the man who drives me insane," she teased.

Elias chuckled. "Accurate."

She ran her fingers along his jaw. "But I also see the man who makes me feel safe. Who makes me want things I never let myself want before."

Elias's grip on her tightened. "And what do you want, Serena?"

Her heart pounded. "You."

The word hung between them, heavy and raw and real.

Elias exhaled sharply, his forehead pressing against hers. "You have me."

---

The Unbreakable Moment

The dance slowed until they were barely moving, their breaths mingling, the space between them nonexistent.

Elias's fingers traced down her spine, his touch setting her skin on fire.

Serena's hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer.

"I love you," he whispered, the words slipping into the air like a vow.

Serena's chest tightened, the weight of everything crashing into her all at once.

She had never expected this—never expected him.

But now, she couldn't imagine a world without Elias Carter in it.

"I love you too," she whispered back.

And then his lips were on hers, claiming her with a tenderness that sent her entire world spinning.

This wasn't just passion.

This was love.

This was forever.

To be continued....