The back seat of Marcus’s SUV had transformed into a private sanctuary, cut off from the relentless drizzle that continued to fall outside, turning the coastal overlook into a misty, dreamlike vista of gray ocean waves crashing against jagged rocks below. Fog had crept up the windows, creating a cocoon of privacy that felt both intimate and fragile. The pregnancy test rested on the center console like a fragile truce with fate—one single, stark line staring back at them under the dim interior light. Negative. No second pink line. No life-altering plus sign. No baby growing inside her from all the forbidden, passionate nights they had shared.

Elena’s breath left...