The soft click of the door echoed through the room as Adrian stepped in, his presence filling the space before his face even appeared from the shadows. The atmosphere was heavy, oppressive, thick with the weight of unsaid things, like a storm waiting to break. Valentina stood by the window, her back to him, arms crossed tightly over her chest as though she were protecting herself from the world outside.
For a moment, neither of them moved. The silence stretched between them, thick and uncomfortable, but neither seemed willing to bridge the distance just yet. Adrian stood still, his eyes tracing the curve of her back, the way the light hit her form just enough to make him ache for things he couldn’t have. She was different now, her posture no longer soft, but rigid, almost defensive, a sta
