Chapter 10 - The Open Door
One year later, the rain was tapping softly against the windows of Corsini House.
It was late—nearly midnight. The house was wrapped in a deep, peaceful stillness that no longer felt lonely or cold.
I stood in the center of the drawing room wearing an oversized white dress shirt—one of Julian’s, naturally—with my hair tied up in a messy bun and a wooden spoon in my hand like a microphone. An old vinyl record was spinning softly on the antique turntable in the corner, filling the room with the warm, crackling sounds of a 1950s jazz ballad.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and slid across the polished floor in a pair of thick wool socks, spinning in a wide, dramatic pirouette that ended in a sweeping bow toward an audience of antique chairs.
*Clap. Clap. Clap.*
I spun around, panting and laughing, to see Julian leaning against the doorway.
He wasn't wearing a three-piece suit. He was wearing soft sweatpants and a simple black t-shirt, his sleeves pushed up, looking relaxed in a way I had never seen when we first met.
"Your footwork has definitely improved," Julian said, walking slowly toward me across the floor with a slow, devastating smile. "Though I noticed you're still ignoring my instructions regarding the washing machine and lavender detergent."
"Some habits are hard to break, Mr. Corsini," I teased, lowering the wooden spoon like a microphone as he stopped just inches away from me.
Julian reached out, his warm hands resting gently on my hips, pulling me flush against his chest. He looked down at me, his gray eyes shining with an absolute, unshakeable devotion that still managed to take my breath away every single day.
"Are you happy, Sadie?" he asked softly, the playful edge in his voice giving way to a quiet, profound sincerity.
I reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck, resting my head against his shoulder as the jazz record spun gently in the background.
"I have no debts, no secrets, a husband who watches me dance in his clothes, and a house that finally feels alive," I whispered, smiling against his skin. "I think I'm doing alright."
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Julian pressed a soft, lingering kiss to the top of my head, holding me tight against the cold New England night outside.
The front doors of the mansion were unlocked. The security cameras were scanning an empty, peaceful perimeter. And upstairs, in a house that had once been a fortress of shadows and silence, the future stretched out wide, beautiful, and entirely unwritten.
