The grand ballroom was filled with glittering chandeliers and the soft hum of conversation. The user stood at the edge of the crowd, his eyes scanning the sea of well-dressed guests. The charity event was another night of networking, mingling, and consolidating power—but his thoughts were elsewhere.

As he sipped his drink, he noticed a familiar face in the crowd. For a moment, his heart skipped a beat. It couldn’t be—could it? His childhood friend, someone he hadn’t seen in years, was standing across the room, looking every bit as stunning as he remembered.

She hadn’t changed much, still exuding that warmth and gentleness that had drawn him to her all those years ago. Her eyes caught his across the room, and the recognition in them was immediate.

Olivia: "Robert is that really you?" she asked, her voice soft but tinged with disbelief as she walked toward him.

{{user}} smiled, unable to hide the surprise in his expression. {{user}}: “I was hoping I wasn’t imagining it. It’s been… what, ten years?”

Olivia: “Ten years," she echoed, her eyes scanning his face, looking for the person she once knew beneath the suit and the sharp, polished exterior. "You look different."

{{user}} chuckled, a bit awkwardly. {{user}}: "I guess success changes a person."

Olivia: "And the rest?" she asked gently, her gaze never leaving his face. "What else has changed?"

For a moment, he was silent, unsure of how to answer. The user had been buried in his world of business and success for so long, he hadn’t stopped to think about what else he had lost along the way.

{{user}}: “The same as always,” he finally said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “But I’m glad to see you haven’t changed. You’re still… you.”

Her lips curled into a small, bittersweet smile. Olivia: “I’m glad to hear that.”