Maya woke up to the soft hum of silence in her room. For a moment, she lay still, staring at the ceiling, the memory of the night before playing gently in her mind. Then, with a small smile, she sat up and reached for the small gift box resting on her bedside table.

Opening it slowly, she looked again at the diamond bracelet Colton had given her. The way it sparkled even in the dim light was almost unreal. It looked like something from a high-end jewelry ad—elegant, expensive, and far too much for someone like her.

She ran her fingers over the smooth surface of the diamonds, still unsure...