Epilogue

Alexei took a steady breath as he reached the final lines of his story, his voice carrying through the silence of the classroom.

"He didn't promise to erase my past. He simply held my hand and walked me toward a future where it no longer defined me.

And so, Noelle spent her days with the man who truly loved her. He gave her a family, and she... became his."

The words lingered in the air ...