Chapter 10 - RECLAIMING THE LIGHT
Ten minutes later, the flashing red and blue lights of multiple police cruisers and an ambulance illuminated the grand stone driveway of the Vance estate, casting bright patterns across the old stained-glass windows of the bridal suite.
Down in the main foyer, two police officers held Bianca by her arms near the front doors, her cream dress rumpled, her face pale and streaked with tears as she was led away in handcuffs. She had been intercepted at the locked perimeter gates by the mansion’s security staff.
Upstairs in the bridal suite, emergency paramedics carefully wrapped Evelyn in a thick, warm wool blanket, sitting her gently on the plush velvet sofa near the window. They administered oxygen through a small tube, checking her vitals while treating the severe abrasions on her wrists and ankles.
Adrian sat directly beside her, holding her hand tightly, refusing to let go for even a single second.
An investigator stepped out from the opened floor cavity, holding a clear plastic evidence bag containing a small brass key and an empty glass vial—the second secret Evelyn had indicated beneath the floorboards.
"Mr. Vance," the investigator said softly. "We've confirmed the subfloor cavity connects to an old service duct that leads down to the maintenance cellars. She was trapped in the secondary access compartment, but she managed to survive by accessing the old gravity water lines running through the wall joists."
Adrian nodded silently, his eyes never leaving Evelyn’s face.
Evelyn looked down at her lap, at the ruined remains of her ivory wedding dress. She reached down with her free hand, slowly unclasping the thin silver bracelet from her wrist—the one piece of her past that had remained intact throughout her nightmare—and placed it gently into Adrian’s palm.
"The wedding is over, Adrian," Evelyn whispered, her voice soft, calm, and finally free of pain.
May you like
Adrian looked at the silver bracelet, then wrapped his hand around hers, kissing her dust-stained knuckles under the bright morning sunlight that was finally breaking through the high stained-glass windows.
"No, Evelyn," Adrian said softly, his voice filled with an unshakeable, eternal promise. "Our life is just beginning."
