Chapter 133: Wash Away The Fear

That night, St. Claire Mansion felt quieter than it had in weeks.

The investigation room remained illuminated downstairs, where folders, photographs, and timelines waited for another day of searching for answers.

But Matthew had insisted everyone get some rest.

"You’ll think more clearly tomorrow."

With no hesitation, everyone agreed.

Chris and Liliana slowly walked back to their bedroom. The familiar room felt different now.

Not because it had changed. But because they had.

Chris gently opened the door for her.

"You should rest early."

Liliana smiled faintly.

"And you?"

"I still have a few contracts Robin left."

He held up a thick folder.

"They won’t take long."

Liliana nodded.

"Don’t stay up too late."

"I won’t."

She disappeared into the bathroom while Chris settled onto the couch near the window.

The stack of contracts waiting for his approval had become almost ridiculous.

Robin had attached colorful sticky notes to each folder of luxury brands, magazine covers and international endorsements.

URGENT

VERY URGENT

PLEASE READ OR ROBIN WILL CRY

Chris couldn’t help smiling.

"Poor Robin."

He opened the first folder.

Inside the bathroom, warm water slowly filled the large bathtub. Steam drifted across the mirrors.

Liliana quietly removed her clothes before standing in front of the mirror.

She simply stared. Her eyes slowly lowered. The fading bruises around her wrists were still visible. Dark marks remained around her ankles where the ropes had held her captive.

She gently traced one of them with trembling fingers.

"They’re still there..." She whispered.

Her chest tightened. Without warning, memories returned. Not one at a time. All at once.

She remembered Harry smiling. Then the locked room. She could hear the sound of chains and the heavy footsteps outside the door.

His voice calling her "Lily." The meals she forced herself to eat.

The meals she forced herself to prepare. The smile she had to fake. Every word she spoke just to survive.

Her breathing became uneven.

"No..." She whispered.

Then another memory of Harry reaching for her hand. And his lips brushing against her skin.

She remembered how every instinct inside her had screamed to pull away. But she couldn’t. She smiled instead. Pretended. Just to stay alive.

Another memory followed immediately. His face moving closer. Trying to kiss her.

The panic. The terror. The knife hidden inside her pocket. The desperate struggle.

Her hands began shaking uncontrollably.

She hugged herself tightly.

"It wasn’t real..."

"It wasn’t..."

But her body refused to believe her. She slid down until she was sitting inside the empty bathtub. Drawing her knees close to her chest. The shower continued running overhead. Warm water poured over her shoulders.

Yet she felt cold. So unbearably cold.

She buried her face against her knees, trying to silence the sobs escaping her throat.

"I want it to stop..."

Outside, Chris frowned.

He looked toward the bathroom. Liliana had been inside longer than usual.

He closed the contract.

"Lily?"

No answer.

He stood.

Walking toward the bathroom door.

"Lily?"

Still nothing.

He knocked gently.

"Are you alright?"

Silence.

Then, very faintly, he heard it. A muffled cry.

His heart dropped.

"Lily!"

No response.

Without another thought, he opened the unlocked door.

The warm steam filled his vision. Then he saw her curled inside the bathtub. Her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her shoulders were trembling. The water continued flowing over her hair. And her face was hidden.

Chris immediately crossed the room.

"Lily."

He knelt beside the tub. She didn’t even look up. He carefully stepped into the bathtub beside her, ignoring the water soaking his clothes.

Without hesitation, he wrapped both arms around her.

"It’s me."

"You don’t have to be afraid."

She slowly leaned into him.

The moment she recognized his voice, she completely broke down.

"I remembered..."

She cried.

"I remembered everything."

Chris held her tighter. His hand gently stroked her wet hair.

"You don’t have to carry it alone anymore."

She cried against his chest.

"I tried so hard to forget."

"I know."

"I smiled at him and cooked for him."

"I..."

Her voice cracked.

"I hated every second."

Chris kissed the top of her head.

"I know. You survived. You did what you had to do."

She cried quietly for several more minutes. Little by little, her breathing steadied. The trembling eased.

She finally looked up at him.

"I’m sorry."

Chris gently brushed damp strands of hair away from her face.

"What are you apologizing for?"

"I ruined the evening."

He smiled sadly.

"Lily, you could never ruin anything."

He helped her sit a little straighter.

When he felt she had finally calmed enough, he slowly stood.

"I’ll get you a towel."

Before he could take a step, she reached for his hand.

"...Stay."

Chris stopped. He turned back toward her. She looked at him with tear-filled eyes.

"So I know you’re really here."

He nodded immediately.

"I’m here. I’ll always be here."

She hesitated. Then quietly whispered,

"Kiss me, Chris."

He gently cupped her face.

"I want to forget what happened."

Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I don’t want fear to be the last thing my heart remembers."

She leaned into his touch.

"I want to remember..."

"...that I’m safe."

Chris understood. This wasn’t about passion. It wasn’t about desire. It was about reassurance. About replacing fear with comfort and reminding her that she was no longer alone.

He slowly removed his soaked jacket before returning to her. With both hands, he gently held her face. His forehead rested against hers.

"You never have to earn my love."

His voice was barely above a whisper.

"You already have all of it."

He brushed away another tear.

Then, he kissed her forehead. Slowly. Tenderly. He kissed each cheek where tears had fallen. He kissed the tip of her nose, making the faintest smile appear.

Finally, he leaned forward.

Their lips met in the softest kiss. There was no urgency. No desperation. Only warmth, patience and love.

When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers once more.

"You are my wife. My home. My heart. And nothing that happened can ever change how I see you."

Liliana closed her eyes.

The cold that had wrapped itself around her heart began to loosen for the first time since her rescue. Not because the memories had disappeared. They hadn’t.

But because every painful memory was now being met with something stronger. It was the quiet certainty of Chris’s embrace, the gentleness of his touch and the unwavering promise that no matter how long healing took, he would walk every step beside her.

Together, they remained there beneath the warm shower, holding one another in silence.

Not trying to erase the past. Only reminding each other that they had finally made it home.