(Alternating POV)
Michelle
Walking back into the warmth of the villa while still holding Steven's hand felt… unreal.
Not in the dizzy, overwhelming way that stories liked to dramatize.
Not in the breathless, heart-stuttering kind of romance that made people reckless.
It was quieter than that.
Heavier.
Grounding.
Like the universe had gently clicked something back into place — a scale corrected, a balance restored — and I hadn't even known I was tilted until now.
His hand was warm in mine, fingers firm but easy, as if he wasn't trying to own the space — only exist in it alongside me. And somehow, that felt far more dangerous than certainty.
The villa doors slid open.
Heat spilled out like an embrace. The scent of coffee, sugar, baked bread, and something unmistakably dramatic filled the air.
"THEY'RE BACK," Vince announced at a volume that should have required legal permission. "THE MORNING WALK OF EMOTIONAL RESOLUTION HAS CONCLUDED—"
