Third POV
Ariana sat by the window, her body stiff against the chair, eyes fixed on the glittering water below. The city outside was alive with music, the sound of drums and flutes drifting from the harbor where early celebrations had already begun. Yet inside the hotel room, silence ruled.
Julian leaned against the edge of the bed, watching her. The tension in the room was heavy, pressing down with every second that passed. He could see her shoulders drawn tight, her face turned away from him as if his presence was an unwanted shadow.
She hadn’t spoken to him since the call. Not a word.
Her silence cut deeper than any angry shout. He could handle her rage,he expected it. But this cold distance unsettled him in ways he didn’t want to admit.
“Ariana,” he said at last, his voice low. “Y
