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Barefoot, dancing in the living room.

I finally open my eyes and look straight at her. Hers are wide, her lips parted, and she’s staring directly back at me.

The tears gathering in her eyes better be from happiness and not anything else.

It’s eating me alive that I haven’t had the chance to talk to her yet and fix whatever the hell is wrong between us.

Selene clears her throat and starts opening one slide after another while everyone else watches attentively.

She moves through each section with a confidence I can’t help but admire, explaining the choices behind the concept rather than simply presenting what’s on the screen.

Near the end, she pauses on the final section and turns slightly to us.

“The concept is built around contrast,” she explains, her voice calm and professional. “We’re taking the atmosphere people already associate with these places—the glamour, the nightlife, the lights, the luxury—and giving it a more modern, refined identity. Instead of making everything feel excessive, the design focuses on balance. Strong visual elements, but clean lines. Bold details, but nothing that overwhelms the space.”

She gestures toward the screen, pointing to a few of the details she incorporated.

“The idea is to make every casino and club feel distinctive without losing the connection between them. They should each have their own personality, but when you look at the project as a whole, everything feels cohesive. That’s what makes the concept work.”

She glances at the screen one last time.

“It’s familiar enough to draw people in, but different enough to make them remember it.”

There’s a brief silence after she finishes.

Then she presses the upper-left corner of the screen to close the app.

That’s when I get a message.

And she opens it by accident.

Lorelay Rodrigues: The food and drinks are ready to be delivered. They’ll arrive, as always, right on time. Also, I don’t know if you’ve had the chance to tell your girlfriend about what happened between us… In case you’re too in love and forgot, here’s a little reminder.

And attached to the message is a video.

A video that’s currently nothing but a black screen.

But I know exactly what’s in it.

Selene reads the message at the same time I do—and probably at the same time as everyone else—before slowly lifting her face to me.

And what I see in her eyes tears me apart.

The warmth that was there until a few days ago is gone.

So is the softness.

There’s only confusion now. Hurt. And a question she doesn’t even have to ask because I can already see it written all over her face.

Almost immediately, she drops her gaze back to the phone.

My entire body tenses.

I push myself up from the couch, but she’s already holding the phone in both hands, her thumb hovering over the screen.

“Selene.”

She doesn’t look at me.