mo

arrived faster th

between two things: the letter from her

small kitchen table, folded

n tom

couldn't avoi

Morgan Industries, board meetings, and

just wanted

n hei

futu

nner with a man who mad

the mirror o

am sweater, and her hair loosely tied back.

mp

rm

way she

hone

I'm o

art fl

and stepped outside

car she had seen yesterday. The streetlights

his expression ch

ent, he j

ked, suddenly

his head

k... bea

hed to h

nk y

the car do

all

sm

the

small and charming, tucked in

background while candle

ice," Lila said

u'd like it,"

tty confident about

d with a grin,

d conversation flowed e

ects he hoped to design one day park

d with genui

ove what you

d

t's

ut you?"

do you

ght for

" she sai

ing to write

es

uld it b

hesi

to find where

ched her

es she

w yet," she

met acros

the world se

ant had faded in

e silence with

nk she

stepped outside int

shimmered softly

for dinner,

plea

to the car, Ethan gestur

al

no

minated by soft streetlight

h, the sound of their footsteps

mething?" Ethan s

ur

you mov

n caught he

her words

... a fre

m wh

ctati

lanced

ounds s

ctations can fe

derstand more t

that,"

u d

ea

ow

rugged s

has expecta

t ki

they know exactly what yo

miled

ounds f

f the park where a small br

t reflected

s bea

opped w

, neither of

e felt dif

av

ar

tly against the ra

you somethin

cour

he said, "I didn't expect t

" she repeate

es

d n

nk I found

art sk

e inter

ne spe

id it made he

r, trying to calm the sudde

know me," sh

ow en

e wh

ped a litt

u care abo

swal

our worries behind

est ti

ed gently, "that when yo

ked up

standing c

than

em felt warm despi

." she w

es

is dan

hy

ause

finish th

let herself f

ntually lear

thing cou

ed her face

id of me?" he

N

are you a

ng t

couldn't

, she w

getting co

iled

lready com

ght breeze lifted a few strand

an gently reached out

barely touch

ent a spark throu

eath c

ingered fo

eyes l

g else di

tant ci

stling

cool ni

s jus

nough to feel ea

ce dropped

la.

art po

es

esit

iving her tim

he di

stepped sli

ere only inch

ulse

eel the war

lecks of gold i

kered briefly

k to he

o stop," h

her head

t want

the permiss

wly leane

os

os

ike it might bur

was

moment of happi

were just a

sud

flash burst thro

gas

ely turned tow

a woman stood near the

who had been wa

camera slowly, a satisfie

she said

s inter

stomach

n fr

are

n steppe

is Claire

anced

e country has been looki

echoed lik

n fr

... M

heart s

had tried so ha

t been

ing right beside he