The night was unexpectedly easy. As they sat together under the soft glow of the city lights, something shifted between them. The weight of their forced marriage, the animosity that had defined their interactions for months, felt distant, almost irrelevant. The simple act of being in each other's company without the pretense of business or obligation allowed for moments of connection that neither of them had anticipated.
Sophia sipped her wine, glancing at Liam over the rim of her glass. He was more relaxed than usual, his guard lowered, and for the first time since they'd married, she could see him as more than just the man she was stuck with. He wasn't the cold, calculating business partner she'd grown to resent. Tonight, he was just a man—complex, intriguing, and, dare she admit, somewhat charming.
"You're quiet tonight," he remarked, his voice smooth as he set down his glass. His gaze flickered to hers, assessing her as if trying to gauge her thoughts.
Sophia smiled softly, trying to maintain the distance she'd worked so hard to keep between them. "I'm just enjoying the moment," she replied, her eyes drifting toward the skyline. "It's not often I get a break from everything. I'm not used to letting my guard down."
Liam leaned back in his chair, watching her with an unreadable expression. "You don't have to," he said, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "I'm not trying to get you to open up, you know. I just thought we could... exist in the same space without all the tension."
She raised an eyebrow. "You're trying to tell me this isn't a trap?"
A small laugh escaped him. "No trap. Just two people trying to get through this, however we can."
There was something in his eyes—a vulnerability she hadn't expected to see. It was fleeting, quickly masked by the usual guarded expression, but it was there. And it made Sophia's chest tighten in a way she wasn't prepared for.
The conversation drifted between topics, each one lighter than the last. They talked about anything and everything, from trivial childhood memories to their favorite books. By the end of the evening, the walls that had once defined their relationship seemed to crumble, brick by brick. It wasn't love—Sophia wasn't ready to call it that. But it was something, and that was enough for now.
As they stood to leave, Liam held her gaze for a moment longer than usual, the unspoken words hanging in the air between them. Sophia couldn't help but wonder what this would mean in the morning. Would they return to the cold, calculated distance they'd known before? Or was this a new beginning, one that neither of them had seen coming?
As the night ended, Sophia wasn't sure of the answer, but for the first time in a long while, she was willing to find out.