Raya had expected Grigor to take her somewhere outside the penthouse, perhaps a quiet café, a drive through the city, anywhere that wasn't surrounded by Adrian's presence. So when they stopped at the garden instead, she blinked in mild surprise.
But she didn't complain.
The garden was beautiful.
It stretched wider than she remembered, lush and carefully tended, alive with color and quiet elegance. Rows of roses bloomed along the stone paths, deep crimson, soft blush pink, pale white, each one standing proud, their petals layered and delicate. Lavender bushes lined the edges, their subtle fragrance drifting through the air, calming without trying too hard. Near the center, clusters of lilies swayed gently in the breeze, graceful and understated, their beauty easy to overlook if one wasn't paying attention.
Raya found herself staring at them longer than the rest.
