The sand was cool beneath their feet as Roman and Dimitry stepped down onto the beach. The sky had deepened with the blush of sunset fading along the horizon. Waves lapped gently at the shore making the evening feel almost surreal—like the world had slowed down just for them. Leila spotted them first.
“Dimitry!” she called. He barely had a chance to respond before she was at his side, slipping her fingers through his and tugging gently. “Take off your shoes,” she said with a playful grin. “You’re on a beach, not in a boardroom.”
Dimitry raised an amused brow, but he let her pull him closer to the water’s edge. She crouched, helping him unlace his shoes, laughing when he rolled his eyes but didn’t protest. A moment later, he was barefoot beside her, the surf kissing their toes as they walked along the wet sand.
From a few steps behind, Vera watched them with a thin smile. The affection between her friend and Dimitry was so unguarded, so natural. For once, Leila looked genuinely at pea
