"Do you want to take this inside?" Damian asked in a soft voice, as if speaking too loudly would break the close moment they shared. He looked into her eyes, anxious for her reply, his heart racing with both excitement and doubt.
Evelina didn't hesitate.
She nodded, her lips curling into a soft, almost shy smile that sent a jolt of warmth through him. "Yes," she whispered.
Damian's heart swelled at her response, and he wasted no time.
He lifted her gently but firmly, cradling her against his chest as he carried her away from the lake. Evelina wrapped her arms around his neck, fitting perfectly against him as he walked through the quiet, dimly lit hallways of the palace.
As Damian carried Evelina through the quiet palace hallways, he held her in a protective and possessive manner.
It wasn't just the physical closeness that drew them together—it was the trust that had been built, brick by brick, in the aftermath of everything that happened.
