Eliana's hand trembled slightly as she grasped the doorknob, the cool metal grounding her against the whirlwind in her chest. The emerald dress whispered against her skin with every breath, a silken promise of something she wasn't sure she deserved. She pushed the door open, stepping into the hallway where Rafael waited, his wheelchair positioned with that effortless poise that made the world seem to bend around him.
Rafael's head turned at the soft click of the door, his eyes lifting to meet her. For a heartbeat, the air between them thickened, charged with an unspoken electricity. Then his lips curved into a grin, slow and genuine, lighting up the sharp angles of his face like dawn breaking over a stormy sea. "Eliana," he murmured, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver down her spine. "You look... breathtaking. Like you were born to wear that."
