HAPPY ENDING

Antonio's expression shifted, a flicker of regret crossing his face. "I didn't make it easy, did I?"

Olivia shook her head, but there was no anger in her eyes—only understanding. "No. But I don't think it was ever supposed to be easy."

They sat in silence for a moment, the air between them filled with something new. It wasn't the tension of old arguments or the cold detachment that had defined their early days. It was something warmer, something more fragile.

Finally, Antonio broke the silence. "You know, I've been thinking… about us. About everything we've been through. I thought this would always be a marriage of convenience, but…" He hesitated, searching for the right words. "I didn't expect to start… caring."

Olivia's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected him to say it, and now that the words were out, she didn't know how to respond. For so long, they had been locked in this dance—two people bound by duty, by necessity, but never by love. But now…