She leaned forward, her gaze catching his, refusing to let him retreat into his thoughts.
“So, how about something different this time? Forget the guest lists and the press. Go somewhere nice and quiet, just you and Maya. Somewhere the world can't find you.”
Damien stayed silent for a long moment, the idea of quiet seemingly more radical to him than any business merger he’d ever overseen. The thought of a birthday without a suit, a handshake, or a hidden agenda was a foreign concept.
But then, he thought of Maya—and the way her laughter sounded when they were truly alone, stripped of the city's prying eyes.
His mind drifted back to Isla Aurelia, to those few days in the secluded cabin tucked away on the far side of the resort. No noise, no staff, no legacy. Just the two of them.
He c
