-

lery wa

were washed in pale gold and soft shadows, the kind of space designed for stillness and wonder

he last

And stopped

was

course. Bu

oke. Her face was turned slightly to the side, wind catching her dark hair, strands slashing across he

t. Guarded. Wo

ked lik

woman clinging to a crumbling marriage. Bu

t glance at the placard beside the frame. Didn'

se he

her," he

of our most talked-about pie

urse

n't leave the can

-

– Adrian (

First Tim

ining in

g at the café - but the weat

wning, pulled off his

saw

d was bowed, dark strands falling like curtains around her face. One hand cradled a

ry kind of heartbre

ut something in his chest recognize

afé, stopping at her table. Her head lift

She fl

rds, but he could read the to

his espresso. He kissed her tem

didn'

. Perfect posture.

treet, soaked to the bon

n her whole heart to someone w

t know h

t

ottles of Italian red from the café, t

leaves him...

-

on her small couch, the t

1 a.m., but she hadn't even realized. Her tea had gone cold on the si

the email Na

he Face Behind the R

otos. A quote from Selina herself.

cheeky: "Smile, queen. Th

vered over the keyb

idn't

t

heart...

ore. Not when it wasn't based on scandal or association. No

iced the mountain she climbed

-

in Florence, untouched esp

silence, simply slid a

the cover. But n

d, stunning in black and white

aire Beauty Who Left Her Ma

eneat

sband who never

tared.

as still in Europe. Hadn't

ck her wounds. That she was

tho

d her," Amara said f

e hadn't realized

"You thought she'd fa

said n

as never yours. You just borrowed he

-

perwork for the pain

It's an exquisite choice.

it delivered?"

head. "No. I'll

arge," the cu

tly. "So is the fe

Adrian arranged for a private transp

a gallery. It belong

she might se

-

w ledge of her Geneva apartment, watching the light fade over the city. The rooftops

ive. Moreau Beauty had capital.

hone

ng. Just thought you'd l

softly. No reply

ys, felt like armor.

ng to be heard. She was l

said ev

her lips, took a slow s

ief. Not

in p

in a long time... s

-

woke

a did

r apartment, surrounded by drafts, formulas, photos, samples. A single lam

weater was inside out. He

e was

cu

iv

wanted her feature story by next week. A quote. A fu

n't res

se she wa

that when she finally stepped into t

legacy built on pity. No intervi

a comeback. It

-

with a crois

e you'v

Selina replied w

d the bag on the cou

boards, two open laptops, and a rough sketch o

nius who hasn't sho

smirked

hey were at some museum thing last night. Cameras everywhere. Hi

didn'

d her closel

er pen down.

not conv

hurt. But all I feel is..." She

at's how you know

-

ing, Selina sto

nothing like Florence. It was quieter, cooler, more distant. And she like

y let he

e glass with h

ths. Her social media was all business. No

il

i had taken earlier that morning-her standing against a white wall, no m

ed like

post

edits. Just a

eco

-

exploded

early Moreau blog days. Women she'd once

naire. Not as a headline. But

saw i

, finalizing a strategic acquisition in S

cli

oz

urpose. A gaze that didn't as

ll becoming,"

mage to someone on h

he New Faces d

-

Lucas saw the post in

im, scrolling thro

othing. J

r. "Didn't expec

She never posted thi

nally has som

wasn't cruel

her. But all you saw

didn't

he hadn't se

-

n't check

refresh f

d her phone face-down, an

y bruised with

irred somethin

a se

a pr

rs