A tall man in a khaki trench coat stood behind the woman, steadying her as she stepped down from the piano bench. Both had their backs to Emily Blair, their faces hidden from view.
For reasons she couldn’t quite explain, Emily found herself compelled to wait until the two turned around.
Slowly, they did.
Emily’s expression froze for a moment.
It was Benjamin Gomez.
And with him was a woman Emily recognized only from photographs—a stranger in real life.
For a heartbeat, she just stared, unable to process what she was seeing.
Then the pair noticed her, too.
Benjamin’s face didn’t change; he raised his eyebrows in mild surprise and nodded politely.
Emily regained her composure and nodded back.
The woman beside Benjamin let out a soft laugh. “Benjamin, is that a friend of yours?”
Benjamin took her hand and led her over. “Yes, a friend. We haven’t seen each other in ages.”
Emily’s gaze lingered on the woman, curiosity blooming.
Up close, the woman looked different than she did in photos. In pictures, Emily had always thought she resembled Isabella Austin.
But in person, the similarity faded.
Where Isabella was cool and reserved, this woman radiated warmth and kindness—there was nothing intimidating about her.
Benjamin made the introductions. “This is Emily Blair. And this is my girlfriend, Juliana Silva.”
Juliana gave a friendly nod. “Hello, Ms. Blair.”
Even her voice was nothing like Isabella’s.
“Hello,” Emily replied.
Benjamin smiled, making small talk. “It’s been such a long time. How have you been?”
“Not bad,” Emily said. “You seem to be doing well, too. New girlfriend, you two look happy together—congratulations.”
He chuckled. “Just fate, I suppose.”


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