The neon lights of the Ferris wheel cut through the midnight sky like a jagged, electrified crown. Arianna Stone stood at the base of the platform, her breath hitching as the cool, damp air bit into her cheeks. This was supposed to be a simple night out, but the sheer scale of the private venue felt suffocating in the best way possible.

"Is this too much?" Maxwell King stepped behind her. His voice was a low, steady vibration that seemed to anchor her to the concrete.

Arianna clutched her coat tighter, her knuckles white. She looked up at the towering steel structure, silent and empty under the moon. "You rented the entire park? On a Tuesday?"

"For your birthday," Maxwell replied. His hand, warm and calloused, brushed briefly against her shoulder before he pulled it back, his restraint as palpable as the electricity in the air. "I didn't want the crowds to distract you from the view."

Arianna thought of her mother, Teresa, who likely hadn't even remembered the date, let alone considered what Arianna might actually enjoy. A sharp, stinging cold settled in her chest, the familiar ache of neglect that always followed her.

She turned, looking up at him. Maxwell was the kind of man who owned the city, yet here he was, watching her as if she were the only person existing in his reality.

"You're a fool, Maxwell," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the distant generator.

A slow, knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Maybe. But I’m the kind of fool who knows you hate being ignored." He reached out, his thumb catching a stray lock of hair behind her ear, his touch lingering just long enough to make her heart race. "Come on. The private car is waiting."