It Started With a Peony

She gave him a flower.
He never thought it would change everything.
Because sometimes, love begins with a single peony.
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There's something magical about Tuesdays. Not unicorns-in-the-sky magical, but the kind of magic where strangers spill coffee, curse under their breath, and keep moving like it's part of the city's rhythm.

That's where you'd usually find Solana Montenegro-elbow-deep in peonies at the flower shop, humming to herself, and occasionally yelling joy at strangers who looked like they hadn't laughed since kindergarten.

That's how she met him.
Tall. Stormy. A suit so sharp it could cut glass.
Mr. Moody Grumpsuit.

And when she shoved a flower into his hand and told him he needed it, Xander Night had no idea it was the first crack in his perfectly controlled world.

It started with a peony.
And it was only the beginning.