felt almost suffocating after the chaos of the previous days. Her mind was still reeling, but there was no more roo

a symbol of everything she had sacrificed, of everything she had been willing to overlook for the sake of love. But now, as she stood at the foo

s the grounds. It was beautiful-serene in a way that contrasted sharply with the turmoil she had been through. But Elena wasn't just l

ne to check in. Maria had been with her for years, handling all the little details of her life, from business meetings to social

a called out, h

n in her eyes. Elena had known Maria long enough to know that she was perceptive, never on

. "I've brought the documents you requested for today's meeting. I also

e and weariness. "I'm fine. Thank you, Maria. L

s still echoed in her mind, but they no longer had the same sting. The anger had faded, replaced by a cold determin

g herself back into the present. "Let's make sure eve

ess on the estate's operations. The legal team has finalized the transfer of asset

ust a piece of property-it was a legacy. And now it was her legacy. She was no longer j

-

he had made settling in her chest. She allowed herself a moment of stillness, letting the silence envelope her. The house w

l, in their own way. But now, she could see how those moments had been manipulated, distorted by Julian's selfishness. She had allowed him to draw her in, t

been dormant for years. The intimacy she had once sought with Julian, the closeness, the desire-it was still the

he idea of starting over. She wasn't interested in jumping into another relationship-not yet. But the

power to make her own decisions, to carve out her own path. And that was a freedom tha

n't allowed herself to acknowledge for too long. The fire within her had been smothered by Julian's

s no turning back. She was no longer just the woman who had been betrayed. She was the woman who

-

of P

-