ADRIAN'S POV
I stood in the shadowed corner of the room, watching her. The air felt thick between us, charged with weeks of messages that had led to this exact moment. She had no idea what I looked like. To her I was still just the stranger from the screen.
"Hello, Ava," I said quietly.
She froze for a second, her fingers twitching at her sides. I could see the rise and fall of her chest as she tried to steady herself. She didn't answer right away, but her body language told me everything. She was nervous, excited, and completely open to whatever came next.
"There's an eye mask on the bed," I told her. "Put it on."
She hesitated only for a heartbeat. Then she turned, walked to the bed, and picked up the black silk mask. Without arguing, without asking why, she slipped it over her eye
