Title: "Behind Closed Doors"

Bonus: A perfect day

Bonus: A Perfect Day

It was a rare Saturday morning in the office. The building was quiet, the usual hustle and bustle of the workweek replaced by an almost eerie stillness. Adam had asked Lila to meet him at the office early-something about a new project, though Lila had her doubts. When she arrived, she found him pacing the floor of his office, looking more relaxed than she had seen him in a long time.

"Good morning," she greeted him, her voice full of curiosity.

Adam looked up and flashed her a mischievous grin. "Morning. You're just in time for a little surprise."

Lila raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "A surprise? What kind of surprise?"

He motioned for her to come closer, a playful glint in his eyes. "Come here. I want to show you something."

She walked into his office, her footsteps echoing in the stillness of the building. To her surprise, the desk was cleared of paperwork. Instead, a large box sat in the center of the desk, wrapped with a bow that seemed almost too perfect.

"What's this?" Lila asked, glancing at Adam.

He shrugged, trying to look casual. "Open it."

Lila untied the bow and lifted the lid. Inside was a stack of travel brochures and a small booklet with pictures of beautiful places. Her heart skipped a beat as she sifted through the pages-locations in Paris, Venice, Bali, and more.

"Adam..." Lila's voice was barely a whisper. "What is this?"

He stepped closer, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder. "I've been thinking a lot about us. About what we want next. And I think... it's time for us to take a real break. No work. No expectations. Just the two of us, exploring the world. So, I've booked us a trip."

Lila's heart soared as she looked at him, her mouth agape. "Wait, you mean-?"

"I mean," he interrupted with a smile, "I've arranged for us to take a week off. We're going to Paris first. And after that, we can go wherever we want. Bali, Venice-whatever feels right."

Tears welled up in her eyes as the magnitude of the gesture hit her. In all their time together, they'd never taken a true vacation, always too focused on work. But this, this was something more. It was a chance to step away from everything and simply be with each other. To build memories, not just careers.

"I don't know what to say," she said, her voice trembling.

"You don't have to say anything," Adam replied gently. "Just say yes."

Lila laughed softly, her heart overflowing with emotion. "Yes. Yes, I'll go. This is perfect."

He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "I've wanted to do something special for you. Something to show you how much I appreciate you-everything you've done for me, for us."

Lila's eyes shone with gratitude. "Adam, this is more than I could ever have imagined."

"We deserve this," he said quietly. "We've built something incredible together. And it's time we take a step back, breathe, and enjoy what we've created."

She nodded, her chest swelling with love. It wasn't just about the trip or the gesture-it was the thoughtfulness behind it, the way Adam always seemed to know exactly what she needed, even before she did.

As she stood in his office, her hands still resting on the open travel brochures, she realized something. It wasn't just the grand gestures that made their relationship special. It was the way they made each other feel-seen, appreciated, loved. That was the real gift.

Later that evening, after they had finished planning the details of their trip, Adam took her hand and led her out of the office, leaving behind the endless to-do lists and emails that usually consumed their time. They spent the rest of the day wandering through the city, hand in hand, enjoying the simplicity of just being together. They had built a life full of passion, ambition, and love-and now, they were going to experience the world, together.

As the sun set on their perfect day, Lila leaned her head against Adam's shoulder, her heart full.

With Adam by her side, she knew that every day, every adventure, would be even better than the last. And whatever came next, they would face it with the same strength, love, and commitment that had gotten them this far. Because they were no longer just two people working together-they were partners, in every sense of the word.

And their journey had only just begun.