Emma’s POV

The glow of Adrian’s world, with its glittering galas and hushed corporate dinners, still shimmered around me, a beautiful, intoxicating afterimage. I had navigated it, not as a trophy, but as Emma, with Adrian’s quiet pride a constant, anchoring presence. But now, it was my turn. My turn to peel back the layers of my own life, to invite him into the simple, often messy, reality of Emma Clarke. It felt vulnerable, exposing the threads of my existence that had nothing to do with wealth or power, but everything to do with heart.