The dawn light filtered through the penthouse windows, gilding the glass and steel of the city below. It should have been beautiful, a promise of renewal after the nightmare of the gala. Instead, Olivia sat curled into the corner of the couch, her hands clasped tightly around a cup of untouched coffee.
Lucas stood by the window, shirtless still, the faint glow of the morning outlining the strength in his shoulders. His silence pressed heavy on the room, a silence that said he was gathering words he had never wanted to speak aloud.
“Lucas,” Olivia said softly, her voice breaking the quiet. “If we’re really in this together, I need to know. No more half-truths. No more walls.”
His eyes, dark and storm-laden, flicked to hers. “You’re asking me to strip everything bare, Olivia. To show you
