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Hayden’s POV:
As the world blurred and then sharpened again, I found myself sitting on the familiar park bench—the one I used to sit on while pretending to talk to Silas, staring at his penthouse from afar. The air was cool, the faint scent of damp grass and distant city noise filling my senses.
Silas looked around, his golden eyes widening in recognition. “I know this place,” he said softly.
I felt a pang of embarrassment. He didn’t know I used to come here to feel closer to him, to imagine a life where I wasn’t alone. “This used to be my happy place,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “I guess my autopilot brain brought us here.”
Silas didn’t say anything, but he reached for my hand, his touch warm and grounding. “I like it here too,” he said simply.
For a momen
