<h4>Chapter 351: A ce For Her</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    What stood in front of me was a house straight out of some fairytale.


    I blinked once, twice, almost convinced my eyes were deceiving me. But no, it was real. It stood tall, proud, and heartbreakingly beautiful - a ce that seemed carved right out of dreams I never dared to dream for myself.


    The two-story house had a modern touchced into its bones, yet its foundation and aura carried a vintage charm, as if time had touched it lovingly but never worn it down.


    The walls were a blend of brown and dull green hues, muted stone and deep wood blending seamlessly with the surrounding forest, giving it the feeling that it belonged here, that it had always been a part of this wild, magicalndscape.


    And yet, the roof was a striking, breathtaking dark blue. Bold against the otherwise blending palette, it made the house stand out in the most elegant way possible, like a jewel resting among shadows.


    A tall, sturdy wall was wrapped protectively around the property, enclosing both the front garden and, I assumed, a backyard hidden from my sight. A huge maple tree dominated the left corner of the front garden, its branches stretching outward like weing arms. Though still in its initial phase froming out of the winter’s grip, I could already imagine how glorious it would look in a few weeks - lush leaves turning the whole front yard into a world of shade and color.


    And beyond the house was the glisteningke only a few steps away, its surface still slowly freeing itself from winter’s icy hold. The woods stood watchful around it, and farther still, mountains kissed the horizon, their snowcapped peaks cutting sharp and proud against the sky.


    It wasn’t just a house. It was a vision. A sanctuary.


    And I... I was speechless.


    A warm, stunned silence stretched inside me. My chest felt tight, my throat clogged. I wanted tough, to cry, to run forward and touch the walls, to make sure this wasn’t some borate illusion conjured by my overworked imagination.


    When atst I pulled myself from marveling, I turned to the ones responsible... the only ones who could be responsible. My gaze flicked immediately toward Oscar and Draven, who stood just far enough to let me drink in the sight uninterrupted. My heart flipped at their quiet patience, at how intently they were watching my every reaction.


    I arched my brows, my voice soft butced with demand. "Okay...what is going on?"


    Oscar’s lips twitched, but before he could speak, Draven moved first. He stepped behind me, sliding his arms gently around my waist. His chin brushed the top of my head as he rocked me gently from side to side.


    His voice was low, amused. "Answer me this first, sweetheart - what’s your first thought when you look at it?"


    I swallowed, staring back at the house as his warmth seeped into my back. "It’s...beautiful," I admitted honestly, my voice hushed. "So beautiful. And weing. Like it’s been waiting for someone toe home."


    His arms tightened around me, the rocking slowing, and then he dropped his next words casually - words that knocked the air straight from my lungs.


    "Can you see yourself living here? With us. With your family. For the next couple of years?"


    I froze. My head whipped to the side, forcing me to meet his eyes over my shoulder. "What-what did you just say?"


    His eyes gleamed with mischief, but also sincerity.


    Before he could reply, Oscar finally stepped in. He shook his head at his younger brother, clicking his tongue as though scolding him. "You are terrible at this. Keeping her hanging in suspicion too long." His smooth and deep voice carried a rare softness just for me.


    Then he looked directly at me. "It’s a surprise, Eva."


    I blinked at him, then at the house again, then back at him. A house? A surprise? My heart scrambled to keep up. "A...what? Why would you have-"


    "Because," Oscar interrupted, his voice still calm but his eyes glinting with that quiet determination of his, "we have been nning this since November."


    My jaw nearly dropped. "November?"


    He nodded once. "Back then, Draven and I had a long conversation about how difficult it would be to keep traveling between the Academy and the estate once the pup was here. It’s only half an hour each way, true, but when you add it up daily - for the next three years you’ll be studying here, plus our schedules at the Academy - it would have been exhausting. For all of us. For you most of all. And then there was the question of whether the academy council would even allow you to leave Academy grounds during the weekdays."


    I was staring at him as my heart pounded and tears started prickling the backs of my eyes.


    "So," he continued, his tone softer now, "we decided you deserved something better. A home closer. A ce where you could raise our pup while continuing your studies without the stress of either traveling every day or staying away from the pup during weekdays. A ce right behind the Academy so we would always be near. For you. For him."


    My lips parted, but no words came out.


    Draven’s chin brushed my temple as he hummed. "And because we wanted you to have somewhere that was yours. Not the estate, not the dormitories. Yours."


    Emotion surged inside me so violently that my knees wobbled. I spun in his hold, and wrapped Draven into my arms. My tears finally fell as I pressed my face into his chest. "You two...you..." My voice cracked, breaking apart. "Thank you. Thank you."


    <fne081> Official source is find~novel</fne081>


    Oscar’s hand slid into my hair from behind as he cradled me gently while Draven pressed his face into my neck, rocking me again.


    "It wasn’t just us," Oscar murmured after a moment. "River joined the project in January. He helped us improve a lot of the designs andyout."


    River. Of course he had. The steady, thoughtful touch in every detail... it made sense now.


    Iughed weakly through my tears. "You aee all...unbelievable."


    "Only for you," Draven whispered against my skin.


    Finally, with gentle insistence, they guided me forward. We walked through a small gate in the wall, and I gasped again.


    The front garden stretched before me properly now - stone pathways weaving between beds of early flowers, delicate shoots poking through the earth. The great maple tree loomed to the left,manding and protective. But it wasn’t the garden that caught my attention next.


    It was the line of people waiting on the porch.