Chapter 3

"Hello," he said, his voice a velvet whisper that sent a ripple of warmth spreading through her veins. "I couldn't help but notice you standing here, lost in thought. Care to share your thoughts on this piece?"

Eliana's lips curved into a tentative smile as she turned to face him, her heart pounding in her chest. In that moment, surrounded by the beauty of the art that surrounded them, she felt a glimmer of hope flicker to life within her—a whisper of possibility that promised a new beginning, a chance at redemption in the arms of a stranger. And as she gazed into the depths of his eyes, she knew that her life would never be the same again.

"What would you say," he began, his voice laced with a hint of mischief, "if I told you that you had captured my attention the moment I laid eyes upon you?"

Eliana felt her cheeks flush with heat as the full weight of his words sank in, his gaze piercing straight into her very being. Her breath caught in her throat, her body tingling with anticipation as he moved closer, his face mere inches from her own.

"Well, that's...very flattering," she managed to stammer out, her pulse racing.

"I've been watching you for quite some time now," he continued, his voice dropping to a husky murmur. "The way your eyes seem to drink in every detail around you, the way your fingers brush gently against the canvases as if you could feel the very essence of the artist's soul through the paint."