Tristan:
The first time I stepped into Stella’s office building unannounced, I noticed how heads turned.
Women—employees, assistants, interns—eyes sweeping over me like they were seeing something worth whispering about. I barely acknowledged them. If they wanted to gawk, let them. My focus was elsewhere.
It was on her.
On breaking down every last wall, she tried to build between us. And the next few days, I made it a point of duty to always visit with the guise of wanting to know how things were going and not just do that empty-handed.
The first time I brought her a gift, she barely looked at it. The second time, she scowled at me and shoved it aside. The third? She paused. Her fingers brushed over the velvet ribbon, her brows drawn in faint confusion. That was when I knew I had her a
