"You're home late," Victor asked.
His voice was calm, but there was something beneath it. Something tight.
"Yes," I replied almost immediately. "Out with a friend."
I tried to sound casual. Normal.
My eyes moved around the mansion, scanning for any sign of Elena. A light upstairs. A shadow in the hallway. Anything.
Nothing.
Victor's gaze didn't leave my face.
"You seem happy these days," he said as he slowly walked toward me.
Each step felt deliberate.
I swallowed.
I was a nervous wreck.
Victor was normally the careful one. Calculated. Always aware of who might see, who might hear. He never crossed invisible lines.
But tonight… something was different.
He didn't look wary of his environment.
He didn't glance toward the stairs to check if Elena was around.
He didn't even lower his voice.
For a second, I wondered if he had been drinking.
My thoughts raced.
What is wrong with him?
He stopped a few feet away from me.
