The week passed slowly with a blur of board meetings and spreadsheets, but Elara couldn’t shake off the memory of Damian’s interaction with her mother. His gentle smile and thoughtful questions replayed in her mind, a flawless act that tugged at her heartstrings.

She buried herself in work, staying late at the office to avoid the penthouse’s oppressive silence. But on Friday evening, a text message lit up her phone:

“Car will pick you up at 2 PM tomorrow. - D”

No question mark, no room for negotiation. Typical Damian. She started typing a response about having plans, then stopped. The truth was, she wanted to see her mother again....