Dorian sent solvency ratios to the lab, not apologies.
Morgan Fragrance projected valuation after engagement: +312%.Market demand for Ocean Aurelia after Expo spill: +419%.Luxury brand loyalty index aligning Hale Global and Morgan House narratives: +211%.
Lila stared at numbers that protected but refused explanation:
"How can a man deliver 419% loyalty but 0% verbal clarity?"
Serena answered:"Loyalty is easier for him than language."
"And love?" Lila asked.
"Love is language," Serena said, "and sir hasn't registered that patent yet."
That night, Dorian visited the lab quietly as if supervision permitted him access to molecules but not feelings.
She didn't kick him out.
Some people walk into love like rain walks into London: persistently, randomly, poetically, damp-shoed, without lawsuits.
For Lila and Dorian, the storm was just beginning to request emotional permits.