Claire stood alone on the small balcony of her Lagos apartment, the warm night air thick with the familiar scents of the city — roasted plantain, distant music, and the faint salt of the ocean. The moon hung low and bright, casting a silvery glow over the bustling streets below. In her hands, she held the small velvet box she had kept hidden for five long years.
Inside was the engagement ring Xander had given her on that beach at sunset — the oval diamond and emeralds still catching the light beautifully, even after all this time.
She opened the box slowly, tears already blurring her vision as she stared at the ring. The mate bond, long dormant and carefully suppressed, had been flickering stronger than ever since the near-miss at the literary festival. She could feel him now — close, so
