The mansion was unusually still that evening, the kind of silence that wrapped itself around the walls and pressed in on anyone moving through it. Lucien’s office hummed with the quiet energy of work left unattended — a stack of reports, a glowing computer screen, and the lingering heat of the sun filtering through the tall windows.Maya had been moving through the corridors, her steps soft but purposeful, carrying a small tray of tea she had prepared herself. The scent of chamomile and lemon was subtle, but it reached Lucien even before she entered the room. He had been buried in a spreadsheet, numbers swimming under his eyes, but he paused, glancing up at the sound.She stepped inside, careful, offering the tray with a tentative smile.“Tea,” she said quietly, voice almost swallowed by the quiet. “I thought you might need a—”“You thought correctly,” Lucien interrupted, voice clipped but not unkind. He gestured toward the table beside him. “Plac
Last Updated : 2026-02-09 Read more