Saturday mornings had always been Asher’s sanctuary—quiet hours of reflection and calm before the world’s demands began to press in. But recently, those mornings had become a time of planning, a space to consider the next moves in a game that had been years in the making.
Bella, meanwhile, had been her usual vibrant self, already bustling around their shared apartment when Asher joined her for breakfast. She hummed a soft tune, brushing her hair with careless perfection, oblivious to the storm of thoughts running through the man who had endured her for three years.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” she said, smiling as she placed two cups of coffee on the table. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes,” he replied, keeping his tone calm and measured.
She leaned over the table, her eyes bright with amusem
