same again. The next morning, the story was already spreading, not through the news yet, but through the invisible network of assistants, caterers, and party guests who had seen enough of what happened on that balcony to start whispering.
Daniel didn’t sleep.
He stayed in the hospital hallway outside Maria’s room until dawn, replaying every detail Charlie had told him.
He thought about all the small moments over the past 3 years. Maria remembering his coffee order without being told twice.
Maria leaving a cup of tea outside his office door on the anniversary of his mother’s death without ever mentioning why.
Maria’s quiet steadiness during the hardest year of his life.
He had never once asked about her family. He was ashamed of that now.
When she finally woke up groggy and confused, her first words weren’t about herself.
Is everyone okay? Was anyone else hurt at the party?
