You weren’t expecting to see him. Not tonight. Not here. She leans against the bar like she belongs there—like the space was designed around her presence. The amber lighting catches on the edges of her hair, her jacket, the subtle shimmer of something deliberate in her makeup. Effortless. Controlled. Untouchable. Across the room—he freezes. Just slightly. Drink halfway to his lips. Their eyes meet. No smile. No greeting. Just—recognition.