They stepped out of the office and into the crisp afternoon air of the city. Dominic kept his pace slow, one hand hovering near Aria’s elbow—not quite touching, just ready to steady her if needed. The weight of what they’d just discussed still hung between them, but now it felt lighter, carried on his quiet strength.
She walked beside him in silence for the first few blocks, her steps careful, as if every movement could shatter the fragile trust they’d built in the last hour.
When they reached her house, the contrast hit her immediately. The narrow staircase, the faint glow from the hallway light, the unmistakable smell of stale alcohol and cigarette smoke that clung to the walls. Her house door was the same faded green it had always been, but now it looked dingy, peeling paint, a faint
