Chosen to give herself wholly, without hesitation. And she would do it again.
With her heart beating faster, Joan took a step forward, then another.
Her smile grew, warm and unshaken.
"D!" she called out, her voice full of sunshine and certainty.
Ross looked up from his conversation and spotted her instantly.
A smile pulled at the corner of his lips—casual, proud, possessive.
He didn't need to say anything. His eyes said it all.
Joan was welcome here.
One of the women at his side glanced over her shoulder at Joan and raised a glass slightly in greeting.
Another gave a soft nod, almost like quiet acceptance.
There was no hostility, no territorial tension—just a quiet acknowledgment of what Joan now was: one of his.
Joan's smile widened, her steps lighter as she made her way toward them.
Whatever anyone else in the house thought—whatever rumors they wanted to spin—none of it mattered anymore.
She had stepped into the fire and emerged changed.
