Chapter 111

Minutes later, she stepped out of the room wearing a light, flowery dress that didn’t cling too tightly to her body, yet somehow made her look even more breathtaking. Her hair was neatly done, soft strands framing her face perfectly. I swallowed hard, my throat dry as I took her in. She looked nothing like the quiet, trembling girl I had first met. “So… where are we going?” she asked, giving me that small, disarming smile again. I hesitated for a moment, watching her. There was something different about her today, this calm confidence that threw me completely off balance. It wasn’t like before, when she could barely look at me without shaking. I was still trying to understand this shift when her voice pulled me out of my thoughts. “Are you okay?” she asked, tilting her head slightly. “Yeah,” I managed, clearing my throat. “Just… thinking.” I didn’t want to say more, didn’t want to ruin this fragile moment. I decided to give her a head start, to let her take the lead, because I was st