But the strike didn’t come. The growl subsided into a low huff. The tension in the air shifted from aggression to something else. Something confusing. The gorilla shifted his weight, looking almost… awkward.
He looked at her, then looked at his hand. The massive fist, capable of crushing a coconut like a grape, uncurled slowly. Tiara watched, paralyzed, as the thick black fingers opened one by one.
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Inside his palm, cradled like a precious gem, was a tiny object. It wasn’t a rock. It wasn’t a weapon. It was a small, delicate wildflower, crushed slightly by his grip but still vibrant.
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He extended his arm. The gesture was clumsy, almost shy. The king of the jungle, the beast that could tear a man in half, was offering her a gift. It was an apology? A peace offering? A flirtation?