The morning sunlight hit the floor-to-ceiling glass, but Maya barely noticed the view. She stood in the kitchen, her hands wrapped around a coffee mug, watching Julian step through the doorway. The chaos of press releases, emergency board meetings, and Victor’s legal threats had completely vanished, replaced by an absolute, settled quiet.
Julian walked directly up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her back against his chest. He rested his jaw against her shoulder, his breathing steady and calm against her skin.
You are remarkably quiet this morning, Julian said, his deep voice holding that relaxed, private tone he reserved strictly for her.
I was thinking about how different this feels compared to a month ago, Maya said, leaning back into his hold. Back then, eve
