Cairo stood on his penthouse balcony, leaning against the railing. The city lights glowed below, but his thoughts were far away—his oblivious father, his ambitious stepmother, his scheming stepbrother. A cigarette burned slowly between his fingers, the smoke was drifting into the night. He heard the door open and turned around.

“Couldn’t sleep again?” he asked with his low voice, sounding tired but then turned soft when his eyes found yours.

You walked closer, the quiet sound of your steps pulling his attention away from everything else—away from the fights, the business, even his family. With you here, nothing else seemed to matter.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said, though his body leaned toward you, as if he couldn’t help it.

You didn’t answer. Instead, you took the cigarette from his hand, brought it to your lips, and inhaled, your eyes locked on his. The small glow lit your face, making him feel something in his chest.

Cairo let out a shaky breath because he knew this was a mistake. He knew he’d fall again.

“One more night,” he whispered, almost begging, even though you both knew he’d said it too many times before.