Forever mine

Episode Six – The Spark Returns

Three nights later, the conference room was empty except for them. Fabric swatches, design boards, and coffee cups littered the table, the chaos of creativity in full bloom.

Eliana was leaning over a mood board when Bryan moved closer, his scent—clean and faintly woody—curling around her like a memory.

“You’ve outdone yourself,” he murmured, studying her work.

She swallowed. “It’s just the concept stage.”

“No,” he said, meeting her gaze. “It’s… you. Your ideas. They make this feel alive.”

Her chest tightened. For a moment, the years melted away — it was Oxford again, late nights and unspoken feelings.

But then his phone buzzed on the table. Kim’s name lit up the screen. He hesitated, his jaw tightening, before silencing the call.

“You didn’t answer,” Eliana said quietly.

“Not tonight.” His voice was low, steady. “Tonight’s about the work.”

But the way he looked at her said otherwise.

They stayed until the early hours, trading sketches and stories, their laughter growing softer, warmer. When she finally stood to leave, he caught her wrist gently.

“Eliana…” His voice was almost a whisper. “Maybe some things don’t fade.”

She pulled back before he could say more, her heart racing as she walked into the cool Paris night.

But deep down, she knew — whatever was happening between them, it was no longer just the past creeping in. It was something new, and it was growing fast.