My body jolted, and for a moment, my heart skipped a beat.

I looked up instinctively—and there he was. Ryan, dressed in a casual outfit, as handsome as ever.

His presence stirred something deep inside me, sending ripples across the surface of my carefully controlled emotions.

He wore a dark gray shirt, understated but elegant. The top button was undone, giving him a cool, aloof charm—refined, yet distant.

But what struck me most was how ...