'Dear Louis,
I miss you.
And I always will.'
The young Derelli wrote those words with trembling hands, tears soaking the page. Frustration and grief surged through her as she crushed the letter and hurled it to the floor.
. . .
“Louis? . . ”
The news fell upon her like a weight too heavy to bear. The Rostova could only stand there, frozen in disbelief. Her heart refused to accept what her ears had heard.
. . .
Sabrina was a storm of emotion—anger, sorrow, and hatred—directed at the man she once loved. A man who, even now, mourned the vineyard they once shared, a place woven with their laughter and memories.
. . .
"What if we had a vineyard together?"
She had asked it playfully once, a fleeting dream voiced at a Savoie family dinner.
"We can do that!"
He had smiled back, eyes gleaming with the hope of a future they believed was theirs to hold.
. . .
“Sabrina, what do you want?”
“All I ever wanted... was to stay at that vineyard with you. More than anything, Louis.”
. . .
“This isn’t goodbye, Louis. It’s just... farewell.”
. . .
That vineyard had once overflowed with joy, filled with friends, laughter, and the sweet perfume of ripening grapes. But time had weathered it—grapevines now bare, wine bottles gathering dust, their once-glowing candlelight now extinguished. Only one still burned: a quiet flame for Aleksandr.
. . .
She said nothing when she heard the news—no words came. Instead, she walked alone to the vineyard, her footsteps light, but her heart unbearably heavy. At the table where so many shared the warmth of Ash-Derelli wine, she gently placed a single white flower.
" I know you’re not here. And you never will be.
But I need to say this anyway.
You weren’t a good man.
You weren’t a bad one either.
You were just... hurting.
I saw it in your eyes the last time I saw you in Eredmar. You looked tired—like something in you had already given up. Time changes people. Sometimes it heals. Sometimes it breaks them. I think it broke you.
nonetheless, I hope you found some kind of peace. "
The still night answered only with the soft chorus of crickets. She brushed her hand along the dust-covered table, the wood worn but familiar beneath her touch.
“I must go home to my family now, goodbye Louis."
Tears spilled silently down her cheeks. She didn’t wipe them away at first—just stood there, remembering. Then, with a final glance, she dried her eyes... and walked away.
For the last time.