MasukAlicia's POV The studio was already warm by the time I looked up from my laptop. July heat seeped through the windows, thick in the late morning, more typical of the season than the brief cold spells that had cropped up throughout the month. I’d been working since eight. Maybe earlier. Time blurr
And all I could think about was the petition sitting on my nightstand at home. "Sir?" I looked up. Leo was watching me. Waiting. "The press conference," I said. "Tell Victor's team Mrs. Valentine won't be available." Leo's expression didn't change. But his pause was longer than usual. "May I
Edward's POV I woke to silence. Not the kind that comes from rest. The kind that presses into your chest when the world has shifted overnight and your body hasn't caught up yet. The petition sat on the nightstand. I hadn't moved it. I hadn’t moved it since the moment I dropped it on the floor,
Alicia's POV I stepped inside quietly. The door clicked shut behind me with a sound that felt more like breath than noise. No rush through the hallway. No tight shoulders. No frantic energy. Just the calm of someone who had already crossed her line long before the estate lights disappeared behin
Edward's POV The front doors closed without spectacle. No slam. No display of force. Just the soft hush of a house sealing itself after performance. The estate exhaled. Somewhere down the corridor, glass chimed faintly. Staff cleared what elegance had left behind. Footsteps skimmed the marble.
Then turned to Caroline. "Tell me about the gallery renovations. I heard the timeline shifted." Caroline launched into an explanation about contractor delays and permit issues. The conversation moved. Lucy stared at her plate. Her jaw working. I took another bite. None of it landed. But I ke







