Chapter 72

Cecilia The night dragged on, quiet and endless, filled with the ghosts of our past. I didn't need to open my eyes to know he hadn't slept. I could feel the weight of his thoughts pressing against the silence, heavy and restless. Through my eyelids, I sensed the first pale light of dawn slipping through the blinds. Eventually, Xavier stood. He moved slowly, like each step toward the door was a decision he didn't want to make. His footsteps were soft, but they echoed in my chest like farewell bells. When the door finally clicked shut behind him, I opened my eyes. Just like that night years ago—when he had stepped out onto the balcony to take Cici's call—I watched his back as he walked away. Back then, it had shattered the last fragile thread of hope I'd held onto. Tonight, it closed the book on our eight-year story. We had reached the end of the line. No more questions of right or wrong, no more weighing love against betrayal. None of it mattered now. We were simply… done. The future la