As Alison and Peter made their way into the bustling ballroom, she couldn't shake the feeling of Noah's presence beside her. Though he stood quietly, his mere proximity seemed to cast a shadow over the jovial atmosphere. She stole glances at him from time to time, but each time she looked, she found Noah's expression unreadable, his features cloaked in a mask of detachment.
Alison's brow furrowed with concern as she tried to decipher the subtle shift in Noah's demeanor. Gone was the warmth and tenderness she had grown accustomed to; in its place stood a version of Noah she barely recognized—a man veiled in icy reserve, his gaze fixed ahead as if lost in his own thoughts.
She longed to reach out to him, to bridge the growing chasm between them, but the presence of Peter beside her served
