The warm sunlight poured over the steps of the courthouse like a gentle blessing, but Roxanne hardly noticed it.

She stumbled out of the grand, heavy doors, still feeling the remnants of courtroom tension clinging to her skin like a second, suffocating layer.

Her hand was tightly wound around Ciel’s, as if letting go might wake her from a beautiful dream.

Free.

The word echoed in her mind, bouncing between disbelief and overwhelming relief.

She was free because of him.

Tears welled again, blurring her vision until all she could clearly see was him:

Ciel Sebastian, standing tall and proud, alive and real, not the ghost she had feared losing...