rself caught in a whirlwind of activity, her mind racing to keep up with the demands of her int

ionalism. But behind the sterile walls of the hospital, their secret marriage continued to cast a shadow

d-at least, that's how she had justified it to herself. The truth, however, was far more complicated. She had grown to admire Adrian not just f

uches that seemed to linger longer than they should. Maya would quickly pull away, her hea

e her wonder if he felt the same way she did. It wasn't love, not in the traditional sense. But there wa

k room, nursing a cup of lukewarm coffee. Her body ached, and her mind was clouded with exhaustion.

His usual composed demeanor seemed slightly more tense than usua

s voice low. "I nee

e nodded, setting her coffee cup

with slow, deliberate steps. There was a weight in

sured, as if he were carefully choosing each word. "The way we'

the words out loud made her stomach twist. She had expected him to be indiffere

plied, her voice barely above a whisper. "

ng like everything's fine. We're living two lives-one here, in front of e

frustration and fear. She had always known this day wo

t love," she said, her voice trembling. "We made a cho

asn't. But somewhere along the way, it did bec

tried so hard to suppress. Maya could feel the heat rising in her ch

" she asked, her v

r, his eyes searching hers, as if trying to read her thoughts.

Maya. I regret that we're trapped in this... this lim

n that their marriage was a deal, a calculated move.

reeling. "What do you want me to do, Adrian? We can't j

ion. "I'm not asking for a perfect solution. But I don't wa

d to reach out, to close the distance between them, but fear held her

y. "But what are we supposed to do? We've built our lives

thoughtful. "Maybe there's no going back. But m

s words settle heavily in her chest. She didn't know what the future held for them,

ady for the consequences that wou

ecret marriage. The weight of their unspoken feelings becomes more evident,