"Then let's be ruined together," he said, his eyes burning with the raw, possessive intensity that had always been his undoing.
"Farrah," he whispered, breaking character as the orchestra swelled. "I spent years pretending I didn't need you to be whole. I built a kingdom just to realize it was empty without the person I built it for."
"And you’re still trying to control the world, Blake. Some things never change," Farrah retorted, adjusting the silk of her gown. She looked every bit the poised interior designer-turned-star, but her heart was hammering a rhythm only he had ever been able to provoke.
In that moment, the script didn't matter. The perfection they both craved was a lie, but the ache in their chests was the most honest thing they had left. As he leaned in, closing the distance they both swore would be permanent, the applause of the crowd felt like a distant echo. They weren't "perfect" anymore—they were finally real.
