The Mistress
“If you break one more expensive pencil in half, Zan, I’m going to start charging you for the property damage.”
I didn’t even look up from the mahogany desk as the sound of snapping wood echoed through the study. Zander was standing by the window, his silhouette dark against the afternoon light, his knuckles white as he gripped the remains of a vintage charcoal lead. On the floor between us sat the “gift”—a hand-crafted, leather-bound painting kit that looked like it belonged in a museum. It had arrived an hour ago with a note that simply said: For the strokes you haven’t dared to paint yet.