The days that followed were quiet, heavy, and distant.
Adrian left.
Elara stayed.
They didn't end things. They didn't define them either. Life resumed its rhythm, but something essential was missing.
Elara poured herself into work, into routine, into the familiar comfort of independence. But at night, the silence was louder.
Adrian tried to convince himself that distance was safer. But every success felt hollow without her to share it.
Love, they learned, did not disappear when ignored.
It waited.