*Roanne’s POV*

The mirror reflected a version of me that seemed almost foreign to me—a woman draped in the kind of elegance that whispered of clandestine rendezvous. The black dress clung to my curves, a second skin that was both armor and vulnerability. It represented a new beginning, or perhaps a continuation of something I wasn't quite sure I wanted to escape from.

I couldn't help but let my mind drift to Michael, his gaze had been focused on me always, ...