They landed on the private runway of a coastal resort, A waiting staff member guided them through an atrium scented with orchids and sea salt. Candles flickered on low tables, and water whispered welcoming them.
"Julian," Ashley said, hesitating, as she took in the ambience. "This feels…a little much."
"That's the point," he replied. " A change of scenario would do us both a little good."
She wasn't sure which mattered more to him, spending quality time together or the optics. Neither was she at the moment.
They were led into a spa suite where the walls seemed to hum with tranquility. Two massage tables waited, draped in white linen. Soft music played, tampering with their perception.
Ashley's initial stiffness melted the moment warm oil touched her shoulders. The masseuse's hands traced slow, sure paths down her back, exacting the right amount of pressure, unwinding the tension that had nested there since the leak broke.
