town the

the pitying looks, the triumphant

d angry on her behalf,

the coast, hundreds of miles away,

rtment and a quiet j

l ache that throbbed with every memory o

ge, shared her food, her clothes, her

wly, very slowly,

mmunity center, helping kids with their h

et work of rebuilding lives,

s the community project, one of many h

ent from anyone A

ess in his eyes that seemed to see st

rne – CEO of Thorne Industries, a tech empire, a

ened more than he spoke, who seemed genuinely interes

her past. He simply a

t the community, about their hopes for a

he resilience she had

e a rare kindness, Ava. Th

m to wounds she thou

town more often, always under

evolving into a love that w

ture, but with a quiet sincerity that brought

ffair, far from the prying eyes of t

give their love a space to grow with

day, Julian gif

d commissioned himself. It wasn' t ostentatious, but its

it around her neck. "Of my heart, always with you. A

a discreet token of her new life, her true status,

Ava Th

ever connect to the humiliated

as just fi