“Aiden…” Alina whispered, her voice soft as she slowly turned to face him.
When their eyes met, she finally saw it clearly; regret, sorrow, and something even deeper. His eyes held a quiet fear. Not fear of her, but of what might happen again. Fear that the food she made could hurt him... the way he’d once been poisoned.
Still, he didn’t look away. He looked at her like a man trying to believe, wanting to trust.
Alina took a step closer, lifting her hand to his face, her palm resting gently against his cheek. She said nothing.
For a moment, it felt like time paused. The world outside the office disappeared, and it was just the two of them sanding close, breathing the same air.
Then slowly, very slowly, Aiden lifted his hand and brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. His tou
