once considered inevitable.
When I entered beside Cashan, Adrian’s eyes moved over me with stunned recognition.
I was wearing glasses.
Not the heavy frames I had once used as a shield, but elegant ones I had chosen because I liked them.
My hair was tied back.
My dress was simple and dark.
I had not transformed into someone worthy of being seen.
I had stopped allowing cruel people to define visibility.
As I opened the meeting folder, Cashan’s hand brushed mine beneath the table.
There was no possessiveness in the gesture.
Only quiet certainty.
Across the room, Adrian looked away first.
The night behind the oak door had once felt like the moment my life collapsed.
In truth, it was the moment I finally heard the lie clearly enough to leave it behind.
