Faith
The grand stone foyer of Sutton Manor felt subtly transformed. Sunlight poured through the tall stained-glass windows, illuminating the marble floor where dark shadows had lingered for two long years. But as the double oak doors closed behind us, cutting off the noise of the outside world, a quiet, fragile tension settled over the room.
The contract was gone—scattered to the wind outside the courthouse—and with it, the artificial boundaries that had defined our lives for the past thirty-eight days.
Mrs. Hayes gently took Noah’s coat, leading him toward the sunroom for a afternoon snack. Noah looked back over his small shoulder twice, his dark eyes lingering on me until I offered him a soft, reassuring nod.
Once Noah’s footsteps faded down the hall, Nicholas turned to face me. The
