Save the child

At the stroke of noon, James promptly ascended to the third floor. His colleague in the office was already well-acquainted with the peculiar situation and playfully ushered Rowan away with a chuckle. With an amiable grin, James turned to her and asked, "Care to join me for lunch?"

Rowan nodded in agreement.

Side by side, the two strolled down the staircase, a serene silence enveloping them. Their unspoken understanding, nurtured over the past few days, guided them as they stepped outside.

Several days had elapsed since James's unexpected confession. However, during this span, the two of them had chosen not to revisit the events of that day. Rowan, for her part, adopted an ostrich-like approach, burying her head in the sand of denial. James refrained from pressing the issue; he comprehended that any inquiry now would yield a negative response.

His restraint in questioning didn't imply inaction, though. Employing the pretext of coincidental errands, he began inviting Rowan to commute to