Innocence in shadows

I never thought love could be quiet. Not like this, anyway. No grand declarations or dramatic moments—just the way his hand fits perfectly in mine, the soft brush of his fingers when he thinks I’m not looking, the calm steadiness in his eyes that tells me I’m home. Alarion Ossandor is everything the world doesn’t see. To them, I’m the fragile girl who always has bruises, and he’s the cold, untouchable man with a dangerous reputation. They whisper, they pity, they judge. But they don’t know us. They don’t know how he smiles when he thinks no one’s watching. They don’t know how he holds me close, like I’m the only thing worth protecting. And most of all, they don’t know how deeply I love him—how, in this quiet, complicated world we share, that love is the only truth I cling to.   The chandelier’s soft light reflected in his dark eyes as we moved across the room. The music swelled, and I leaned into him, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath my cheek. I glanced down at my arm, where a faint bruise was blooming beneath the delicate fabric of my sleeve. It was just my body’s weakness, nothing more. Yet, when people saw those marks, their eyes filled with pity or suspicion, none of which I understood. Alarion squeezed my hand gently and whispered, “You’re perfect, Isara.” His words wrapped around me like a shield. In that moment, no whispers, no rumors, no fears could touch us.