ia's

f my new "marriage"

lm, lazy S

kind of silence - the kind that sm

ooth, and so white it felt like even sleep here had to pass inspection

minimalist, beautiful... and completely lifeless. No warmth. No clutter. No t

k had a heartbeat

oor snapped me o

woman with kind eyes and a crisp unifor

. V

please don't call me

hat said she'd seen this before and kn

, that esc

museum. Every step echoed. I half-expected Adrian to appear aro

f a runway. At the far end sat a note -

6:00

gs - A

- 7:0

eak to t

t touch t

. "Did he

nodded. "He h

ste

ols. He doesn't li

to-do list for my ow

, ma

tered. "I marr

of the penthouse or more accurat

Sleek black counters. Hidden doors. The faint hu

d into his stu

nly room tha

art pieces whispered wealth instead of shouting it. And on the de

d. He probably calibrat

vier than it looked. Solid

thing cau

behind a stack of files.

and a smile so bright it hurt to look at. Beside him sto

tugged at me - familiar,

man in that picture - the one smiling like

a voice sai

ng from my fingers and c

mp from the rain, hair perfectly in place - as if

ng my panic. "The building's emoti

ing anything,"

o the pen. "You we

, not a nuc

evenly. "Given to me after my first mer

You really know how to

- silent, fluid, controlled

d enough for on

at an

r the temperature dropped. "If i

e my pulse stutter. Cold.

e. "Your study's impre

s," he said softly, stepping closer. "In

photo before I could stop

for a crack to show - the smallest hesitatio

you need

al precision, jaw tight, then turned

r thic

eam to help you prepare for the press conference. Styl

if I d

quiet threat. "Then you'll make my first

awled down

gh it like our conversation bored h

at?" I

imply. "It's time the

urned and left, the soft click of t

t thundering, eyes drawn bac

rame didn't belong to the

'd had back then.

e

d just agreed to live