Dani:
The silence in the penthouse felt like a heavy blanket, smothering everything—every thought, every feeling.
We'd just come back from a night that should've been normal, a dinner with Ryan's family that should've been just a simple meet-the-family dinner, but it hadn't been.
Not for me.
Ryan was standing by the window, his hands in his pockets, eyes on the city lights that seemed too far away for me to focus on. The room felt too big, the walls too close, and the space between us stretched like a chasm I didn't know how to cross.
"I'm sorry about tonight," Ryan's voice cut through the tension, his tone softer than I expected. "I know it wasn't easy for you."
I tried to force a smile, but it didn't feel right. I didn't feel right. "I'm fine," I muttered, hoping he wouldn't hea
