Chapter 25
Back in the ballroom, the string quartet transitioned into a slow, romantic melody as the lights dimmed slightly, inviting the guests onto the dance floor.
Elias stood up, offering his hand to Caroline. "May I have this dance, Madam CEO?" he asked with a playful smirk.
Caroline laughed, a light, musical sound that carried pure happiness, and placed her hand in his. "Only if you promise not to treat it like a tactical extraction."
"No extractions tonight," Elias promised, pulling her close as they stepped onto the polished marble floor. "Only arrivals."
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As they moved in rhythm to the music, Caroline rested her head against Elias’s shoulder. She felt the steady, powerful beat of his heart—a stark, beautiful contrast to the silence she had faced in the freezing depths of the Pacific.
The scars on her neck were hidden beneath her dress and her scarf, but they were no longer a mark of trauma. They were the armor of a woman who had walked through hell, faced her betrayers, and reclaimed her rightful throne.
