Page 97 of A Sinful Gravity

Near noon, I took her to a small restaurant. Not fancy—just a corner shop.

She looked at the sign, then at me.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Heard their sandwiches are great."

We found a window seat. She ordered tuna, I ordered the same, plus some snacks she liked.

While eating, she watched me eat ice cream and suddenly laughed. "Never thought you'd eat this kind of—" she paused, searching for words, "street food."

I pulled out a napkin, wiped my mouth, and set down the spoon. "Once I ate strawberry ice cream in front of Marco. He just stared."

"Then what?" Luna asked curiously.

"For a while after, my nickname became 'Strawberry CEO.'"

Luna blinked, then burst out laughing. "That sounds adorable."

Watching her relaxed, happy, completely unguarded—something strange welled up in me. I wanted to spend my life protecting that smile.

Afternoon arrived quietly. We kept going.

The car turned onto a quiet street and stopped in front of a building. Low-key exterior, walls covered in ivy.

She got out, looking at the building.

"This is..."

"Come with me."

I pushed open the heavy iron door. Inside was a corridor. At the end, another door. No sign, just a small golden ballet slipper emblem.

She saw the emblem, and her steps faltered.

I pushed the door open.

Inside was a spacious rehearsal studio. One entire wall of mirrors, barres, wooden floors, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a small garden. Sunlight streamed through, filling the room with brightness.

And in the center stood a figure.

An elderly but still elegant woman. She wore simple black practice clothes, her hair gray-white, but her back perfectly straight, her presence so noble you couldn't look away. Sunlight caught her profile like an ancient medal.

Luna stood frozen in the doorway.

"Ms. Petrova?" Her voice trembled, barely audible.

The older woman turned, looked at her, and smiled warmly.

"Hello, Luna. I watched your Giselle. Very moving."

Luna's mouth hung open, speechless. She looked at Sonia, then at me, disbelief flooding her eyes. Her eyes reddened.

Sonia stepped forward and embraced her gently.

"I watched your video several times." She released Luna. "Your technique is strong, but I admire your emotion more. That pure yet desperate love of Giselle—you captured it precisely. That flows from the heart, not learned from technique."

I stepped back, found a spot against the wall, and let them talk.