Adira's POV
After the press conference, exhaustion clung to me like a second skin. I wanted silence, not another headline. But when Jayden appeared at my office door, tie loosened, eyes steady, I didn't resist.
"Come with me," he said.
The restaurant he took me to was quiet, hidden. A place without cameras. We sat by the window, the Thames a silver ribbon behind him.
"You needed this," he said when I raised a brow at the untouched wine.
"I needed distraction," I muttered.
"Or clarity," he countered. His hand brushed mine as he passed me the glass. It was brief, almost accidental but my pulse tripped anyway.
I tried to focus on the meal, but he kept dismantling my defenses with little things remembering how I liked my water, asking about books, listening more than speaking. For once, the world didn't feel like it was burning.
When we left, the night air was sharp and still. We paused near the river, neither of us ready to say goodbye. He lifted his hand, hesitated, then touched my cheek lightly, his thumb grazing my skin.
"Adira," he said softly, and my name sounded like something sacred.
I could have leaned in. God, I wanted to. But fear was louder. I stepped back, whispering, "Not tonight."
He didn't push. Just gave a small nod, eyes unreadable. "I can wait."
And as we walked back, silence stretched between us not heavy, but electric.
Ashley's POV
From her penthouse, Ashley smiled at the photos landing in her inbox blurry shots of Adira and Jayden walking too close, eyes saying more than words.
"Perfect," she whispered. "Let's see how the world likes a scandal of the heart."