Shivani’s POV:
I could feel the energy in the room shift the second I walked in. Marcus, the newlyweds, the old couple—they all rotated toward me like sunflowers to the sun. "Shivani’s here!" someone cheered, and the music seemed to get louder just to match my heartbeat.
I love this. I love the noise, the fake scripts, the "Sarah" persona—but mostly, I love the power of being the only thing in this room that isn't made of gray stone.
I looked at Abhi. He looked like he was vibrating on a frequency of pure terror. He was holding that plate of cookies like a shield, his eyes darting around as if he were trying to find the exit code for the room. Poor, brilliant, lonely Architect. He thinks he’s so smart, but he’s standing in a room full of people and he’s drowning in the silence.
"You're
