ca

tly, that alone t

pale and clean, cutting through the darker wood and stone like it always did. No alarms. No

or a moment, letting the weight

remembe

kin or hunger or regret. Just the image of a woman sleeping in one of

y and swung my

," I mutter

y the time I reached the lower level, the house was already awake. Staff moved efficientl

leaning against the counter with a

y normal," he said

sed," I replied, po

hirt and jeans. "It is a

e thirt

thriv

ip. "What

ss. Cold." He smile

lway

d the night hoveri

him a

lax. I did not run a back

ress

It physic

t the counter.

e. Meeting later today. A shipment that

e topic doe

" he said

. "I hate

y time. Then you d

not the s

. "It is cl

ly. Darius took a long sip of coffee

arly," he s

sk how he k

he added.

oo

mpt to f

en shrugged.

y. "You are ter

not

tending you

aze evenly.

"Then why did you

slightly.

t side," he said. "You neve

my mouth.

oot traffic," I said final

said. "Y

away. "

oftly. "Alri

for privacy and control. Thick walls. Clean lines. Windows pos

ked

n the desk. A message

early. Room left

screen longer

iss

o

plications. No attachment

d

uty. I had seen too much of that to be impressed easily. It was the way she spoke. Honest to the

e that wer

to o

hems

ounded at

me

hand. "Meeting confirmed for n

. "Anyth

. "There was

harpened.

id carefully. "About ho

ut humor. "The

es

aid. "They will

rned to leave, t

Y

thing yesterday," he said.

" I replied. "That

ted that

etched out below, alive and indifferent. Somewhere in it, Aria was pro

t belong t

ctly why she had

uietly at t

a

d discipline. I did not chase mo

ing toward the meeting. Darius slid in

a mood," he said. "

ot do p

ake it

iar territory. Power dressed as civility. Smil

y role. I

ice, drifting back to a woman with tired eyes and a sharp

unset

shook hands, ignoring the

," he said as

lway

deways. "You thinki

N

wered to

urned to him. "She was

e a way of becoming problem

one," I sa

ed. "If y

myself a drink and stood alone on the terrace. T

ice. About the strange relief of d

drink and set t

t night was,

ld be busine

d

e, I wondered if she w

lowed me longer