The city was already swallowed by the early hours of dawn, wrapped in a dense, silent fog. Cars had grown scarce along the avenues, and the tall buildings seemed to be asleep, their windows dark. The yellowish glow of the streetlamps painted the street in a melancholy hue, and the sound of the engine shutting off was little more than a whisper against the heavy stillness of the night.

Gabriel parked in front of Celina’s building around one in the morning and exhaled softly. He turned to her with that protective look he always wore when it came to her—the strong woman he had been watching rise again from her own ruins.

“Seriously, it’s way too late…” he said in a low, steady voice. “I’m walking you upstairs, to your door, and then I’ll head back.”

Celina gave him a tired but genuine smile. Her eyes were heavy, her makeup nearly gone, her hair slightly disheveled, and yet her beauty remained—intense, raw, unshakable.

“Alright… thank you, Gabriel. You’re such a sweetheart.”

He returned t