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Chapter 56 – The Quiet Aftershock

Author: Doona
last update Last Updated: 2025-09-06 10:01:19

The morning after felt wrong.

Adrian woke to the faint sound of clinking china, the smell of coffee drifting through the air. For a disoriented moment, he thought maybe last night had been a nightmare—that Evan hadn’t slid a ring across the table, hadn’t demanded forever like it was a command instead of a promise.

But then his eyes fell on the nightstand.

The velvet box sat there. Closed. Innocent. Watching.

Adrian’s stomach twisted violently.

He sat up too quickly, breath catching, and nearly knocked it over. His hands hovered above it, trembling, before he shoved the box into the drawer as though hiding it would change anything.

The kitchen noises didn’t stop.

Evan was humming.

Adrian froze, heart hammering. It wasn’t a tune he recognized—just a low, absent-minded hum, casual and soft. As if nothing had happened. As if Adrian hadn’t said no.

His chest tightened. He forced himself out of bed, each step toward the kitchen weighted with dread.

Evan stood by the stove, sleeves rolled, a
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