Love, signed in the City.의 모든 챕터: 챕터 11 - 챕터 14

Alexander ended the last conference call at exactly 2:47 p.m. and snapped his laptop shut harder than necessary.The numbers were perfect. Nakamura’s team had responded positively to the vague “personal stability” update Elena fed them this morning. The merger timeline was locked. Everything was proceeding according to plan.Everything except the quiet storm brewing in his own home.He hadn’t seen Evelyn since breakfast. Hadn’t sought her out. Hadn’t allowed himself even a glance down the hallway toward the studio. Distance was discipline. Cold was protection. He’d perfected both over the years.Yet the silence of the penthouse felt heavier than usual.He stood at his office window, hands clasped behind his back, staring down at the city seventy-five floors below. From up here, people were ants, problems were abstract, emotions were irrelevant. It was how he preferred things.His phone vibrated on the desk.Elena: Stylist and team arriving at 4:00 sharp for Mrs. Knight. Five dress opt

The photographer arrived , right on the new schedule Alexander had requested. Evelyn heard the doorbell from the studio—soft chime, polite interruption. She’d spent the afternoon finishing the edges of her storm painting, adding just enough gold threads to make the clouds look like they might part eventually. Not today. Not yet. But maybe tomorrow. She washed the paint from her hands, changed into the simple black dress Simone had left behind (“for casual shots—effortless chic”), and walked out. Alexander was already in the living room, speaking low to the photographer—a young woman with a camera strap and an easy smile—and her assistant. “Natural light from the windows,” he was saying. “No posed stiffness. Candid moments.” The photographer nodded. “Got it. We’ll do a mix—couple shots, individual portraits, some with the skyline backdrop.” Evelyn stepped into the room. Alexander glanced at her. One quick scan dress, hair down, bare feet then his eyes moved away. “Evelyn,” he