A comfortable silence settled between them, broken only by the crackling of the fire. They both knew that their secret meetings were a risky proposition, but the shared sense of understanding and the thrill of the forbidden made it all worthwhile.
"I'm glad we have each other," Ariadna said softly, her hand reaching out to touch Carl's.
Carl squeezed her hand gently, his heart filled with a warmth that had nothing to do with the flickering candlelight. "Me too," he whispered...
================================
The air crackled with anticipation as Benedict, a man on the precipice of marriage, stepped into the dimly lit bar. A chorus of cheers erupted, and his friends, clad in matching Hawaiian shirts, surrounded him, their faces flushed with a mixture of excitement and mischief.
"Welc
