The penthouse was quietbalmost unnaturally so.Elara sat on the edge of the sofa, her fingers intertwined around a warm mug of tea. Steam curled upward, but she barely noticed. Her eyes were fixed on the city lights stretching beyond the glass walls, yet she wasn’t seeing the city. She was seeing the empty space beside her, the place Adrian had always taken before distance, before separation.Adrian entered the room quietly, dressed in black again, sleeves rolled up, a subtle tension in his shoulders. He didn’t sit. He didn’t move toward her immediately. He just… observed. Like he was measuring courage,