Episode 1

The alarm clock hadn't gone off, but Aurora was already awake. For weeks, she had been waking up before the sound, with a light heart and an easy smile, as if her life had finally gotten on the right track. She felt at peace. Full. Almost happy.

The soft morning light filtered through the fluttering curtains, painting golden designs on the light wooden floor. The fresh breeze from the capital entered through the half-open window, bringing with it the smell of freshly brewed coffee mixed with grilled bread. The familiar perfume that filled the house she and Levi had built with so much affection.

She took a deep breath.

From downstairs, the sound of the coffee maker, the silverware moving, and the water falling into the glass formed a domestic soundtrack that made her feel like she finally had a real life. Not a temporary existence, like the one she had in her adoptive parents' house. But a life with purpose. With roots. With love.

Levi. Her fiance. Her safe harbor.

Aurora stretched slowly, pulling the soft blanket over her lap for a few seconds before getting up. The sun touched the wedding ring on her finger, making it shine brightly. And even though she was already used to the ring, she still smiled every time she saw it. It was as if every morning was a small confirmation that she was living something she never imagined she deserved.

Downstairs, he was already back from his run. His hair was damp from the quick shower, a black t-shirt clinging to his still slightly sweaty body. He was in the kitchen, as always, preparing coffee the way she liked it.

"Good morning, my future wife," said Levi, with that smile that used to take her apart.

"Good morning, my almost husband," replied Aurora, laughing as she descended the last steps.

He pulled her by the waist on impulse, pressing their bodies together. It was an automatic gesture between them, as if they belonged to each other effortlessly. Aurora let herself stay there for a few seconds, resting her head on his chest. Hearing his heart beat still calmed her.

"I made coffee the way you like it," he said, kissing her forehead. "Strong, with grilled bread and... sugar-free orange juice. Even though you make me drink this bitter stuff."

"It's healthy! And you're used to it now," she replied, sitting down at the table.

"I'm used to you. That's right."

He winked and made her smile again.

The table was set with a delicacy that only those who love bother to do. Folded napkins, simple flowers in the center — lavenders, her favorites — and a jar of strawberry jam that Levi had picked up at the fair, just because she casually mentioned that she liked that artisanal brand.

While they ate, they talked about the final wedding preparations. The buffet, the invitations, the music for the ceremony. Aurora wrote down details in her beige notebook, while Levi sketched possible honeymoon destinations.

"Tuscany would be a dream, but... what if we went to Santorini? Or maybe the French countryside? Rent a little stone house, just the two of us, wine and a fireplace?"

Aurora laughed, charmed by his enthusiasm.

"The way you're talking, we're going to need three honeymoons."

Levi held her hand over the table, his eyes fixed on hers.

"I promise you, Aurora. I'm going to give you everything you never had. Everything you deserved and weren't given. You will be the happiest woman in the world. I swear."

She looked at him with an emotional glow. She still couldn't believe that someone loved her that way. After a life of being ignored by her adoptive parents, treated as a burden, an obligation, she had found a love that put her first.

She believed it.

And, because she believed, she didn't see the slight tremor in his gaze. The hesitation in his voice. The shadow that crossed Levi's face for an instant.

Levi always knew how to say the right words. And Aurora was so immersed in the idea of ​​being loved that she didn't notice the silence that came after the vow. A heavy silence. A silence that would soon become a scream.

Later that same morning, she found the wedding dress hanging behind the bedroom door. The veil was next to it, carefully folded.

She ran her fingers over the delicate lace, imagining the walk to the altar. His smile as he saw her enter. The applause. The teary eyes.

In her mind, the future was light and white.

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