CHAPTER SIXTY NINE –THE TRUTH AND THE LIE

As the night wore on, they talked and laughed, sharing stories and secrets they'd never told anyone else. The ice cream melted, forgotten, as they discovered a connection neither had expected. When the first rays of sunlight began to peek through the kitchen windows, they were still sitting on the floor, shoulders touching, voices soft with shared confidences. Miguel turned to Karina, his expression serious. "I want you to know... what you said at the gala, about challenging each other and making each other better... I feel that way too. You push me to be better, Karina. You always have, even when I was too stubborn to admit it." Karina felt her heart skip a beat. "Miguel, I-" But before she could finish, the shrill ring of Miguel's phone cut through the moment. He glanced at the screen and sighed. "It's the office. I have to take this." As he stood to answer the call, Karina watched him, her mind whirling. Something had changed between them, something fundamental and irreversible