Cornelia's POV
Happiness feels foreign against my skin. This emotion that lived behind glass walls for most of my existence now courses through my veins like liquid fire. It makes my chest constrict in the most beautiful way, lifts me higher than any cloud could carry me.
And it stems from this man whose arms encircle my waist.
That devastating smile spreads across his face, his eyes softening with layers of emotion I cannot decipher. They remain an enigma, but something deep inside me craves to understand every flicker, every shadow that passes through them.
"Tell me about this past year," he murmurs against my ear, pressing his lips to the tip of my nose in a gesture so tender it steals my breath.
We float together in the crystalline water, sunlight painting golden ribbons across the surface. Nothing exists beyond this moment except the gentle rhythm of waves and the thunderous beating of my heart.
