Fated in the Dark Part 1

The party was extravagant…laughter bouncing off walls, glasses clinked, and the air buzzed with empty conversations. Yet, both of them felt utterly alone.

Sophia stood near the balcony, her fingers wrapped around a champagne flute, though she barely sipped. Her boyfriend, across the room, entertained guests with his charm, the same charm he used to mask his cruelty. Every smile he gave her in public was a leash, a reminder that behind closed doors, love was a weapon he wielded against her.

Across the room, Daniel adjusted his cufflinks, his jaw tight. His fiancée laughed with another man, her nails dragging over his arm, knowing Daniel was watching. It was always a game of control with her..a punishment disguised as affection. He had learned to endure it, to swallow his resentment like bitter whiskey.

Their eyes met through the crowd, and something unspoken passed between them. Recognition. Not just of attraction, but of shared pain. A silent, aching need.

Sophia placed her glass down, walking away from the noise. Daniel followed without...