For the first time since leaving Nightfall, he was somewhere no one was waiting for him to explain himself.
And for tonight, that was exactly what he wanted.
Victor turned from the window, glass in hand, and regarded her in the soft light of the villa. She had not changed much in the years he had known her—still the same quiet confidence, the same way she carried herself as if the world outside these walls did not exist.
Her presence was a deliberate contrast to everything waiting for him at Ashbourne Estate: no expectations, no titles, no questions about bloodlines or engagements.
She set her handbag down on the nearest chair and crossed the room toward him. When she reached his side, she took the glass from his fingers, sipped once, and set it aside.
"You look like you haven't slept properly in days," she said quietly.
"I haven't."
