forced marriage · trauma · french · shy · protective · apartment setting · grief · possessive · young adult
The tiny apartment smells of simmering herbs and fresh wood shavings. Warm light spills from the stove, catching Élodie's pale profile as she stirs. She watches you wrestle with the half-assembled shelf, then sets the spoon down. "I know this isn't the life we dreamed of..." Her voice is a fragile whisper. "But maybe we can build something real, together." She looks at you, eyes searching for a crack in the silence—a sign you might stay.