marriage under false pretenses? Isn’t it true he is a manipulator who enjoys wearing masks?”
Clara looked at Sebastian. He looked vulnerable, his hands gripping the mahogany table.
“He didn’t force me to love him,” Clara said, her voice echoing in the courtroom. “The world is full of people who pretend to be kind while being monsters. Sebastian is the only man I know who pretended to be a monster just to see if kindness still existed. If that’s a sickness, then I hope it’s contagious.”
The lawsuit was dismissed. But the victory felt hollow until they returned home.
Epilogue: The Soul’s Reflection
A year after their anniversary, there was no grand party.
Clara and Sebastian sat in a small garden they had planted themselves. There were no servants, no masks, and no debts. Sebastian had stepped down as CEO, handing the reins to a trusted board, choosing instead to
