Chapter 344

• When I stepped into the sleek, softly lit bathing suite, I noticed Rafael’s nightwear neatly laid out deep blue, crafted from a smooth, luxurious fabric that felt like a quiet promise of comfort. The subtle cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs matched the style of my own nightwear waiting in the adjacent room our subtle way of syncing even in the smallest details.
• There was more than just aesthetics in those stitches: one cuff bore the phrase “eternal harmony,” the other, “blessing of a future,” both delicate reminders of hopes and intentions beneath the surface of this night. Rafael had clearly prepared for this evening, grooming himself with care, anticipating it might stretch long into the night.
• When he emerged from the bathing suite, dressed and immaculate, I barely recognized the rugged man I had first met amid the corporate battlefield. His complexion had softened, his clean-shaven jawline sharp and handsome so different from the scruffy, relentless entrepreneur who once seemed always just one step from exhaustion. The man before me was a testament to evolution, much like myself.