It was like a trial period ... a glimpse into a life that might have been, a world where he had loved properly and been loved in return. Every laugh, every touch, every quiet moment with Carlos had felt impossibly real, yet impossibly fragile, as if the universe had pressed pause just long enough for him to see what he had thrown away.

For the first time in years, Max felt hunger ... not the hunger of ambition or victory, not the ache of adrenaline and competition, but a deeper, more dangerous craving: the hunger to cherish Carlos, to hold him close and never let go, to be the man Carlos deserved. He had tasted it, this life where he was attentive, patient, and fully present. And he wanted it ... fiercely, desperately, with every pulse of his racing heart.