Theodore kept his word. Shea realized it not all at once, but in fragments. In absences that felt intentional. In moments that could have been something and weren't.
At the office, he no longer appeared unannounced near her floor. Meetings that once ended with casual conversation now close neatly, professionally. When their paths crossed in hallways or elevators in Galatasaray stadium, there was a nod, a brief greeting, nothing more. No lingering eye contact, no invitations disguised as coincidences.
Exactly what she had asked for.
And still, Shea felt the quiet weight of it, but she was not regretting or longing for it. Just the strange awareness that something potentially complicated had been handled with care instead of ego. That mattered to her more than she'd expected.
Life slipped back into its rhythm.
