Eloise stood frozen in the dimly lit corridor, her heart hammering wildly against her ribcage, each beat reverberating through her as if her body were trying to process the enormity of what had just happened. The air around her seemed heavy, thick with unspoken words and lingering tension. Her lips still tingled from Zachary’s fleeting kiss, the warmth of it a stark contrast to the sudden coldness that now enveloped the space between them. It was as if the brief moment of vulnerability she had glimpsed in him had been nothing more than a mirage, a flicker of something real that had been snuffed out as quickly as it had appeared.
Her mind raced, trying to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. The kiss, so unexpected, had left her reeling, and yet it was Zachary’s abr
