Elena didn’t speak for a long time.
Neither did he.
The silence in her office wasn’t peaceful—it was loaded. Like something had already shifted and neither of them knew how to name it.
Alessandro finally moved first.
He walked toward the window, hands in his pockets.
“Stay,” he said flatly.
Elena blinked. “That’s not a request anymore?”
“It is,” he replied. Then added, quieter, “For now.”
That for now irritated her more than anything else he’d said.
She stood up. “You can’t keep doing this.”
“Doing what?”
“Pulling me in, then acting like I can’t leave when I decide I’m done.”
Alessandro turned slightly. “You already decided wrong once.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
“You didn’t think it through,” he said simply. “You were reacting.”
“That’s not your call.”
“It is when it
