The gala had ended hours ago, but the lights of the city still glimmered against the glass walls of our apartment. I leaned against the window, feeling the pulse of the city beneath me. Every success from tonight, every subtle dismantling of expectations, pressed quietly against my chest. I had been tested and had passed.
Adrian entered the room without announcement, his presence calm but undeniable. He leaned against the doorframe, his eyes tracing me as if measuring what had changed.
“You handled everything perfectly,” he said quietly. “Every judgment, every whisper. You owned it.”
I let out a slow breath. “I did what I had to do. I learned how to let the power of presence speak for me.”
He stepped closer, the heat from his body brushing subtly against mine. His hand hovered briefly
