A Eternal Love

chapter 29

The weight of her grandfather’s words clung to Mia like chains. She felt suffocated inside the sterile hospital walls, her heart torn raw. Sensing her trembling, Daniel leaned close, whispering softly in her ear.

“Come with me. You need air… space. I won’t let you face this night alone.”

Before she could object, Rebecca touched her hand gently. “Go. I’ll tell Mom and Dad you’re at Kevin’s. They won’t worry. Trust me.” She gave a small smile, her eyes firm with sisterly resolve.

Mia nodded weakly. She didn’t have the strength to argue.

–––

Daniel’s home was quiet, shadows stretching long across the warm glow of lamps. He led her inside, his hand steady against her back, guiding her as though she might crumble at any moment.

On the couch, he pulled her close, letting her bury her face into his shoulder. His warmth seeped into her, his heartbeat steady beneath her cheek.

“I don’t know who I am anymore,” Mia whispered. “Everything I thought I knew… it was all wrong.”

Daniel brushed his thumb across her cheek, wiping away her tears. “You’re Mia. Stronger than you believe. And none of this—none of what they did—changes how I see you. Or how much I care for you.”

Her eyes lifted to his, glassy and searching. “Even after all of this?”

He leaned closer, his breath mingling with hers. “Especially after all of this.”

Their lips met—soft at first, a trembling kiss that carried the weight of everything unspoken. But as her hands clutched at his shirt and his fingers slid gently through her hair, the kiss deepened, turning desperate, filled with longing and comfort.

For Mia, it wasn’t just passion—it was release. A way to remind herself she was alive, loved, wanted. Daniel kissed her like she was something fragile yet unbreakable, like she was the only thing in the world that mattered.

When at last they broke apart, breathless, he pressed his forehead to hers. “You’re safe with me,” he murmured. “Always.”

He carried her gently to the guest room, tucking her beneath the blankets as though shielding her from the world outside. She drifted into sleep with his hand still in hers, clinging to the steadiness he gave her.

Daniel stood in the doorway of his brother’s room, watching Christian swirl the half-empty glass of whiskey. The shadows from the candlelight carved deep lines into his face, making him look older, harder, like a man already halfway lost to his rage.

“We can’t do it,” Daniel said finally, breaking the silence. “We can’t kill Reese. It’s not right.”

Christian’s gaze flicked upward, his eyes sharp with a cold fire. “Not right?” He gave a humorless laugh. “You really think this is about right or wrong, brother? This is about revenge, it's ok I can do this alone .”

Daniel stepped into the room, his jaw set. “Reese is innocent. She’s just a girl who’s been dragged into this family’s mess. You can't kill her, I can see mia suffer”

Christian slammed his glass onto the table. “Don’t speak to me about the curse as if you understand. You’ve found your mate—your freedom. Do you know what it’s like for me, Daniel? To live every day knowing that because of that woman—because of Reese’s family I will never have mine? That my soul is chained, my future stolen?”

Daniel’s chest tightened. He had seen the curse’s toll on his brother—the restless nights, the hollow anger that never left his eyes. But still, his voice was steady. “Blame her, not Reese. She didn’t choose this.”