Chapter 31: The EchoSummary: A casual, congratulatory comment from a colleague about Elara's "incredible luck" in landing the Apex Global offer—long after she'd refused it—reaches Leo at the worst possible moment. He assumes she kept the offer secret as a backup plan, a sign she never fully committed to them. Wounded and retreating behind his old walls, he creates a cold, professional distance, leaving Elara confused and hurt by the sudden shift from their recent intimacy.---The new peace was a fragile, precious thing. For two weeks, they had worked in seamless harmony, their partnership in the office a quiet extension