The room was quiet—too quiet. The kind of silence that carried weight, pressing against the skin until one could almost hear their own heartbeat. Evelyn stood before him, unsure whether to take another step or retreat. The memory of that night at the restaurant still burned in her mind—how she’d walked out on him without a word, leaving him sitting there, his expression unreadable, his eyes shadowed by something she couldn’t name.

Now, here she was again. The same man. The same ...