Elena's POVAlex was nothing like Jason.We'd met a handful of times as children. I barely remembered him.As an adult, he was gentle, restrained—the kind of person who always left room in a conversation, who never crossed a line.But around me, he was always a little... stiff.Nothing like Jason's cold indifference. Alex's awkwardness was too obvious—like he was deliberately keeping his distance, afraid of scaring me off.I noticed.One evening over dinner, the mood was relaxed, and I asked him out of nowhere: "What's your take on open marriages?"He froze, fork halfway to his mouth, and looked at me. He didn't answer immediately.I added, "Hypothetically."He was quiet for a few seconds. Then he shook his head. "I wouldn't do that."No hesitation at all.I held his gaze. "What if I wanted my freedom?"He met my eyes, his expression serious. "That's your choice.""I won't restrict you. I can only promise that on my end, I won't cross any lines."He said it without a ripple of emotion,
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