The golden hues of early morning spilled across their penthouse, filtering through sheer curtains that fluttered with the soft whisper of wind. Maya lay wrapped in the warmth of Liam's embrace on their sun-drenched couch. Her hair fanned across his chest, and his fingers traced absentminded patterns along her bare shoulder.
Neither of them spoke. It wasn't awkward—it was sacred. Silence that held emotions too complex for words.
Liam finally broke it, his voice a low murmur against the crown of her head."What happens when the real world demands us back?"
Maya's fingers stilled against his chest. She looked up, eyes rimmed with curiosity and quiet concern."Are you afraid we're dreaming?"
"No," he said, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I'm afraid we'll wake up and realize it was temporary."
His words hung in the air, too heavy to be dismissed. Maya slowly sat up, wrapping a throw around her as if shielding herself from something invisible. From something within.
Liam rose, walking toward a drawer in the study desk. He pulled out a slim folder—leather-bound, elegant, serious.
"My lawyer sent this." He didn't look at her at first. "It's… a formality. Something that defines what we are."
Maya's throat tightened. Her heart pounded—not out of fear, but out of something deeper. What were they? Lovers? Refugees from a world that demanded labels?
She reached out, fingers grazing the folder. Her eyes met his.
"A contract?"
Liam nodded slowly. "Not for ownership. For protection. For clarity. For… us."
Before either of them could speak further, a sudden gust blew through the open balcony doors. The curtain danced wildly—and for a moment, Maya froze.
Standing there, just beyond the shadows of the hallway mirror, was a blurred reflection of Kai. Not real. Not flesh and blood. But a presence.
Her breath hitched.Liam noticed instantly."You saw him again, didn't you?"
She nodded slowly."He's not gone.""He's part of you. And if you'll let me, I want to fight that shadow beside you."
Tears pricked her eyes—not out of sadness, but from the sheer vulnerability of feeling seen.
Liam reached for her hand."Let's sign it together. Not for business. But for belief. For our own kind of forever."
Maya didn't answer with words. Instead, she leaned forward, kissed him with all the fear, the love, the uncertainty, and the fire that had built between them. When they pulled apart, breathless, her hand rested over the folder.
"Let's do it. Let's start our 100 days. Together."
But deep within her, the mirror still whispered.Kai's shadow smiled.