The hall was almost empty now.
The once lively space had quieted into soft echoes—faint laughter, distant goodbyes, the occasional shuffle of chairs being moved back into place.
It felt… different.
Like the end of something.
Or maybe the beginning.
Amelia walked beside Daniel in comfortable silence as they made their way out of the hall. The cool night air wrapped around her the moment they stepped outside, a sharp contrast to the warmth inside.
She inhaled slowly.
Trying to steady something inside her she couldn’t quite name.
“I’m heading to the hotel,” she said after a moment, her voice softer now. “I insisted on spending the night there with my family so we can all leave together tomorrow.”
Daniel nodded, his hands sliding into his pockets. “That sounds like you.”
She glanced
