Chapter 16: The Taste of AshIt was a strategic retreat. A necessary one. After Leo’s “I don’t care about you… much” grenade, Elara needed to prove to herself that she could still breathe, still function, still be desired by someone who didn’t communicate in emotional shrapnel.So, when Ben from Mergers asked her to dinner with a straightforward, charming smile, she said yes.Their date was on a Thursday. They went to a cozy Italian place, and Ben was… lovely. He was funny, attentive, and he listened. There were no verbal landmines, no hidden meanings. It was easy. And for two hours,