The following days were an uneasy blur of cautious exchanges and tentative steps forward. Emma couldn’t deny the change in Alexander—his persistence, his patience, and the way he made an effort to respect her boundaries. It wasn’t the same Alexander she once knew, or at least not the same version of him who had walked away. Still, the cracks of distrust remained deeply rooted in her, and Emma wasn’t sure they would ever disappear completely.
But Alexander didn’t seem deterred.
On Friday evening, he sent her a message: “There’s something I want to show you. I’ll pick you up at 7, if you’re okay with it.”
Emma stared at her screen for a long while, debating her next move. Part of her was hesitant—she wasn’t sure if she was ready to let him further into her life again. But a small voice, o
