Chapter 40

• She allowed a small smile, grateful for the recognition and simultaneously aware of the bittersweet edges. They fell into a comfortable rhythm of dialogue, ideas swirling effortlessly, but occasionally, the air thickened with unspoken words, echoes of a history that felt there, pulsing beneath the beat of the present.
• As they collaborated, Charlotte couldn’t help but notice how naturally they paired together. It was a gentle reminder of lost days when creativity melded with companionship. But each moment ridled her with guilt; she was doing this for Ester—the woman who now had his heart.
• After discussing multiple sketches, Damien rose to explore the other corners of her studio. He wandered, running his fingers across the vibrant canvases displayed on the walls. With each brushstroke and color story, he peered into the depths of her creative soul, and a shiver of vulnerability settled in Charlotte's chest.