Chapter Forty-Four: Private Celebration
(Ria's POV)
The main celebration had ended hours ago. Guests were gone, lights dimmed, and the massive hall now echoed with only the faint hum of music. Miles guided me through the quiet corridors, his hand warm around mine.
"Threads," he whispered, voice low and possessive, "just us now."
I nodded, my heart hammering. All the rituals, the photos, the family, the chaos — it felt like a distant memory. Now it was only him.
We stepped onto the balcony, the night sky glittering above Dhaka. Lanterns from the ceremony floated faintly in the distance, and Sofia's laughter had finally been replaced by peaceful silence.
Miles brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "You've been amazing today. Absolutely mine."
I smiled shyly, tucking my hands into his. "You say that a lot."
"And I mean it every time," he murmured, leaning closer. Our foreheads touched. His breath was warm, steady, reassuring.
I felt a shiver as he lowered his lips to mine, a soft, lingering kiss. Respectful, yet full of longing — gentle enough to honor my faith, yet intense enough to set my pulse racing. My hands clutched his shirt as the world shrank to just the two of us.
He pulled back slightly, forehead resting against mine. "Threads… just us. Always."
I nodded, heart fluttering. "Always… Miles."
We stayed like that for a long moment, quiet and close, the city lights below and the world paused around us. And though nothing more happened tonight, a spark had been ignited — a promise, a tease, a private memory that belonged only to us.