The door clicked shut. The sound was soft, final—a seal between them and the world outside. Aveline felt Lucian's hand still at her waist, steadying her, waiting for her legs to hold her weight. She leaned into him without thinking, and he absorbed her weight without comment. Then he guided her forward. His steps were measured, unhurried. Each footfall deliberate. When they reached the bed, he turned her gently, his hands finding her shoulders, easing her down onto the mattress. The sheets rustled beneath her. He lifted her legs, one at a time, and swung them onto the bed with the same impersonal efficiency a nurse might use. The blanket came up. He tucked it around her hips, then her waist. His fingers brushed her shoulder as he adjusted the pillow behind her head. He didn't meet her eyes. "There," he said. Quiet. Flat. He turned. His footsteps crossed the room—seven strides, she counted—and stopped at the window. The chair scraped against the floor as he pulled it out. He sat
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