The crisp night air did little to cool Eva's burning cheeks as she stormed down the city sidewalks alone. Dorian's harsh dismissal and accusations still stung like shards of ice piercing her skin. She couldn't believe she had let herself hope, even briefly, when he approached her earlier. A foolish fancy, clearly.
As she slumped onto a park bench, her body still buzzing with a potent mixture of humiliation and anger, she stared unseeingly ahead, replaying his harsh dismissal like a broken record in her mind.
Movement in the corner caught her eye. A man stood across the path, one hand holding a lit cigarette while the other clutched a leash attached to a very familiar-looking bulldog. Eva squinted, studying the dog more intently. It couldn't be...
"Rufus?" she called out hesitantly.
Th
