Author's POV

Abigail felt a surge of relief after the live broadcast; the weight of her secrets finally lifted.

She had unmasked her true identity to the world, shared her painful truth, and reclaimed her narrative.

Yet, as the silence of her room enveloped her, a wave of exhaustion and vulnerability washed over her.

She needed this moment of solitude, a chance to let the enormity of her revelations settle.

After thirty minutes of solace, a gentle knock broke the quiet.

Before she could respond, the door eased open, and Alexander—Xander, as she’d come to call him in their more intimate moments—stepped inside, his familiar presence filling the space.

His...