Page 55 of Final Vendetta

“Oh, Idefinitelyplan on hearing both sounds in one day,” he replied, handing me a flute.

“What should we drink to?”

He pinched his lips together, a contemplative look crossing his brow. “How about the future?Ourfuture?”

“To our future,” I said, gently touching my glass to his.

“Our future,” he echoed, his eyes never leaving mine as we each took a sip of our champagne.

“I hope it’s to your liking.”

“BecauseDom Perignonis so disgusting,” I retorted sarcastically, stepping toward the railing and allowing the comforting ocean breeze to blow through my hair. “It’s seriously a chore to drink it.”

Smirking, I brought my glass to my lips, fighting to swallow back the moan wanting to be set free from the smooth flavor. A girl could certainly get used to this.

“Remember theOpus Onebottle?” I asked after a comfortable silence as we simply enjoyed being back in this place that was home to so many memories.

He set his flute on the railing and flashed me a gentle smile I felt deep in my soul. “How can I forget?”

When he was laid off from his programming job, he went to the liquor store and bought a ridiculously expensive bottle of wine. You’d think after being laid off, he’d want to save as muchmoney as possible, but he saw being laid off as a blessing. As his chance to finally devote all his time and effort to the gaming platform he’d been working on with Liam. He bought that bottle as a symbol of the life he wanted to live, the success he hoped to achieve.

Even after we finished that bottle of wine, we didn’t get rid of it. Instead, we continued to drink out of it, filling it with whatever cheap wine we had on hand, usually from a box. Some of my happiest memories with him included that bottle as we’d eat ramen noodles while pretending to be dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

He didn’t have lofty dreams of the wealth he had now, unlike Liam. Instead, all he wanted was to be comfortable. I prayed that was all the future held for us. Nothing but comfort.

“Did you ever think you’d get here?” I mused absentmindedly. “Thatwe’dget here?”

He turned toward me and wrapped me in his embrace before tipping my eyes to meet his. “Honestly, I’m still waiting for the bottom to fall, especially after everything. For years, my life was hell on earth, Imogene. The things I saw… The things I had to do to survive…”

“But youdidsurvive.” I placed my hand against his cheek. “That’s all that matters.”

He curved closer. “Yes, it is.”

When his mouth touched mine in a soft kiss, I sighed, his affection seeping into me.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt a flicker of hope — not just for us, but for a future. Where the weight of the past didn’t loom so heavily over us.

But as much as I wanted to believe we were finally on our way back to the dream we once shared, there were still too many unanswered questions to ignore the uneasy feeling settling in mystomach. Like a storm was brewing offshore, gathering strength before wreaking havoc.

I hoped I was wrong.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Gideon

The early light crept through the gauzy curtains, soft and golden, casting a gentle glow over the room. The rhythmic sound of the waves crashing outside mingled with Imogene’s soft, steady breaths as she slept in my arms. For a moment, I allowed myself to forget about everything else — Liam, Agent Myers, the ghosts of my past.

Here, in this moment, in our bubble, there was no guilt. No reminder of who I’d been or what I’d done.

There was only her.

Imogene stirred slightly, her body radiating warmth and softness. Her silky blonde hair brushed against my chin as she nuzzled into me, as if drawn to me even in her dreams. I couldn’t resist pulling her closer still, savoring every delicious curve of her body.

I’d gone years without holding her like this. Withouttouchingher like this.

Now that she was back in my arms where she belonged, I didn’t want to stop. Didn’t want another day to pass without having her in my bed. In my heart. In my life.

My fingers moved of their own accord, tracing the intricate lines of the tattoo on her hip — the symbol of unconditional love.

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