CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE __ RESTRAINT AND TESTING
The restaurant was quiet in a way that felt deliberate, tucked between taller buildings and shielded from the noise of the main road. Soft instrumental music played overhead, low enough that it never demanded attention, only filled the spaces between conversations. Kian sat across from Aou at a small table near the window, hands folded tightly in his lap, posture tense despite the calm atmosphere. This had been Aou’s suggestion. Not a walk. Not an apartment. Somewhere neutral. Somewhere public. Kian had noticed that immediately. Aou looked different tonight. Not distant, but guarded in a way that made Kian’s chest ache. His hair was neatly styled, his shirt pressed, sleeves rolled just enough to reveal his forearms. Handsome in a way that didn’t ask for attention, but inevitably drew i
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