Awakening Love Reborn to Be His Duchess (Elowen Hale) novel Chapter 404

Chapter 404 A Long Night

He slowed down after that. The change was immediate, and Elowen finally relaxed.

The kiss ended, but Cassian didn’t stop.

Elowen was still a little dazed when she heard him, his voice low and rough. “Ella.”

She looked at him.

“Give me your hand.”

She hesitated, then placed her hand in his.

What followed left her completely overwhelmed.

She shut her eyes tightly, unable to watch.

All she could hear were the quiet sounds around them. Fabric shifting. Uneven breathing. And his voice, again and again.

“Ella… Ella…”

There was something in the way he said her name. It was gentle, but also insistent, almost possessive.

The contrast made her thoughts blur.

And the night stretched on.

In the study, everything had already been locked away. Rosaline and Seren stayed behind to clean.

After finishing one round of mopping, Rosaline stepped out to change the water.

For a short while, Seren was alone.

She moved to the shelves, dusting carefully. Elowen had brought back several new storybooks that day, which made the task slower than usual.

A trace of irritation crept in.

“Why so many of these…” she muttered under her breath. “Who even reads this much?”

She tapped the shelf a little harder than necessary.

A soft click followed.

Seren froze. A hidden panel had shifted open in the corner.

Her heartbeat quickened. There had to be something important inside.

She glanced around quickly to make sure no one was watching, then reached in. It was a handwritten manuscript.

The handwriting was elegant and familiar. She had seen it before in the duchess’s ledgers.

Seren recognized only a few words, but it was enough.

This was a story. Her fingers tightened slightly.

Her Grace… writes these?

Footsteps sounded outside.

Seren’s heart jumped. She quickly closed the manuscript, shoved it back into place, and restored the panel as best as she could.

Rosaline appeared at the doorway with a bucket, pausing to catch her breath. “Seren, come help me with this.”

Startled, Seren blurted out, “I didn’t mean to!”

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