Max stood on the balcony of his room, one hand resting on the cold railing as the night air brushed against his skin. The estate was quiet, almost eerily so, but that was how he liked it. Silence had always been his comfort. Noise, crowds, forced conversations, they drained him in ways nothing else ever did. Tonight had been exhausting. Attending the party alone would have been bad enough, but attending it with Mia by his side had been something else entirely. Necessary, yes. Planned. But still exhausting. He exhaled slowly and tilted his head back, staring up at the dark sky. The stars were faint, barely visible, hidden behind thin clouds. He preferred nights like this, it was muted, calm and predictable. The party had been none of those things. His mind drifted back to the moment they had arrived at the chateau. The stares, the sudden hush and the whispers that followed them as they walked inside. He had expected it. He always did. Max Hult showing up anywhere was enough to s
Read more