Chapter 71: Passionately

Healing wasn't a straight path. It wasn't easy, and it wasn't quick. And Valerian never expected it to be.

It took days, weeks, months, before Noelle could truly breathe without the heaviness of the past pressing on her chest. Months before her laughter wasn't something forced, before she could look at herself in the mirror and not see the remnants of the woman Adrian had broken.

And ...