"I'd rather you hate me than lose you."
"I don't hate you," I whisper.
"You should."
"Maybe. But I don't." I stand, moving around the table to him. "I should hate you for forcing me into this marriage. For taking away my freedom. For keeping me locked up like a prisoner."
He looks up at me, jaw tight.
"But you gave me my tools back. You found the books I loved. You remembered something I said when I was half-asleep and bought me a piece of my mother." I cup his face. "You're trying. And that matters."
"Sera—"
I kiss him.
He freezes for half a second, then his arms come around me, pulling me into his lap. The kiss deepens, turns hungry.
When we break apart, we're both breathing hard.
"I want to show you something," he says roughly.
"Okay."
He stands, lifting me with him, then sets me on my feet and takes my hand.
He leads me through the mansion to a wing I haven't explored yet. Unlocks a set of double doors and pushes them open.
"I know you said you wanted to work from home," he says. "So I thought?—"
I step inside and stop breathing.
It's a library. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with leather-bound volumes. But that's not what makes my heart stutter.
There's a worktable by the massive windows, positioned for perfect natural light.
Shelves hold supplies I've only dreamed of owning. Archival-quality materials. Professional-grade tools.
Everything a book restorer could want.
"It's not finished," Adrian says behind me. "I'll have more supplies brought in. Whatever you need. Leo's setting up a secure line so clients can reach you. But I thought—" He stops. "I thought you could work here. Build something that's yours."
I turn to face him, tears streaming down my face.
"Why?"
"Because you're right. You're not a problem to manage. You're my wife. And you deserve to have something that makes you feel like yourself again."
I cross the space between us and kiss him hard.
He responds immediately, his hands sliding into my hair, angling my head for better access. The kiss turns desperate, consuming.
"Sera," he groans against my mouth. "If you don't stop, I'm going to take you right here."
"Then take me."
He pulls back just enough to look at me. "You're sure?"
"Yes." I hold his gaze. "I'm sure. I want this. I want you. Not because I have to. Because I choose to."
