Since she was an infant, she had never known warmth like the embrace of her adoptive uncle, Maxim. He was her whole world, her shelter whenever tears overcame her. His scent… his voice… even the sound of his footsteps could calm her fears and lull her restless soul.

Years passed, and she grew older, but the mysterious bond between them never faded. At seventeen, she still found comfort in his arms, still hid her face in his chest as she had done when she was little. As for Maxim, now in his mid-forties, he struggled in silence with feelings he knew should never have existed. So he decided to walk away… to marry, to put an end to a relationship he no longer trusted to remain innocent.

The day of the wedding arrived—flowers lined the hall, music flowed softly—but she stood in a far-off corner, eyes dazed, heart trembling like a drowning soul. It felt as though the entire world had betrayed her. How could he leave? How could he walk away, after she'd grown to be part of his every breath? Why her? And who was she… truly, to him?

She didn’t fully understand what she felt, only that she had lost her refuge.

Then the priest spoke solemnly, "Does anyone here have any objection to this union?" A single hand rose slowly into the air, trembling. Maxim turned—his eyes wide, filled with shock… tenderness… and something broken that no one else could see.