Nikolai’s PovI stood outside Leo’s door longer than necessary, jaw tight, the cool evening air doing nothing to calm the storm raging inside my chest. Why the hell was I even here? I could’ve gone anywhere else—a bar, the office, back to that empty mansion—but my feet had carried me straight to my best friend’s place like some pathetic instinct I couldn’t switch off.When the door finally opened, Leo looked slightly flushed, like he’d run to get there.“Why did you take so long to open the door?” I asked, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. My eyes swept the living room immediately…sharp and searching. The couch, the TV, the half-empty glass on the table. Everything looked normal.Leo closed the door behind me. “I was in the toilet, man. Relax.”I didn’t relax. I kept moving, glancing toward the hallway that led upstairs, then back to the open kitchen. Something felt off. The air carried a faint trace of something sweet and feminine—perfume? Or was I losing my mind?Le
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