When the third man arrived, the room felt different. Taller than Mark expected, calm, self-assured. Elena noticed it too the way confidence filled the space without a word. Mark’s pulse kicked up, nerves and anticipation tangling together. They moved slowly. Conversation first. Laughter. A charged silence that said more than anything spoken. Mark stayed close, never pushed aside, watching his wife glow with a mix of excitement and reassurance meant only for him.