Julian didn't say anything at first. Didn't react the way she expected, no sharp words, no immediate anger. But that almost made it worse.
Slowly, deliberately, he walked around the desk. Each step is measured. Controlled. Until he stood right in front of her.
Amara didn't move. Didn't breathe.
He leaned down, resting his forehead gently against hers, an intimate gesture, familiar, grounding… but something about it felt different this time.
Because his eyes. His eyes didn't leave the cedar box.
"Amara…" he said quietly, his voice calm, almost too calm. "If the Creeds are sending 'tokens of affection,' you need to tell me."
His breath brushed softly against her skin, but there was tension beneath it, tight and restrained.
"We can't have secrets," he added, more firmly now. "Not now." The words wrapped around her, heavy with meaning. With a warning.
Amara's lashes fluttered, her gaze dropping for a brief second before she forced herself to meet his again.
