The first course arrived in silence, delicate plates of seared tuna with ginger and lime. The dish looked like something out of a magazine spread, each slice arranged with almost surgical precision, the citrus aroma rising lightly with the steam. Sofia picked at hers cautiously, her fork tapping the edge of the plate as she tried to focus on eating rather than the pressure building in her chest. Her gaze slipped often to the glowing skyline outside. Manila sprawled endlessly below, a carpet of lights against the velvet dark. The distant hum of the city seemed to cradle the ridge, giving the illusion that they were suspended above the world rather than sitting in a quiet private room.
Tristan, by contrast, seemed completely at ease. He sipped his wine, watching her with the patience of a m
