Tatiana woke before the rest of the penthouse.
Soft gray morning light filtered through the towering glass windows overlooking Manhattan, casting pale silver reflections across the marble floors. Beyond the windows, New York had already begun moving. Cars streamed steadily through the streets below while distant sirens echoed faintly between buildings, blending into the restless heartbeat of the city.
Inside the penthouse, however, everything remained unusually quiet.
Tatiana slipped from bed gracefully and wrapped a silk robe around herself before walking toward the kitchen. The cool marble brushed against her bare feet as she moved through the silent hallway.
The moment she stepped into the kitchen, her attention shifted toward the dining area just beyond it.
Dinner remained untouched on the dining table.
The plates Cassie had prepared the previous evening sat exactly where they had been left beneath the soft pendant lights. Nothing had been moved.
Tatiana paused briefly.
Then she exhaled softly through her nose.
Understanding settled immediately.
Without another glance at the untouched meal, she returned quietly to her room to prepare for the day.
An hour later, she entered the living room dressed elegantly in a charcoal fitted dress, every detail of her appearance composed and immaculate as always.
Cassie and Adela were already awake.
Cassie sat comfortably near the windows with a warm mug of tea resting between her hands while Adela scrolled absently through her phone beside her. Neither woman appeared fully focused.
Maya was nowhere to be seen.
Tatiana glanced once toward the hallway before asking calmly, "Maya is still not awake?"
Cassie shook her head lightly. "No."
Tatiana nodded once before turning toward Maya's room without another word.
Adela immediately looked up.
Years of watching her mother had taught her how to read the smallest changes hidden beneath Tatiana's carefully controlled expression. Most people saw calm detachment.
Adela saw everything else.
The hallway remained silent as Tatiana reached Maya's bedroom door. She knocked softly once before opening it carefully.
The curtains remained drawn, allowing only traces of muted daylight to spill into the room. The lingering scent of roses still drifted faintly through the air.
And beneath the blankets—
Maya slept curled tightly against Rege.
His arm rested securely around her waist while her head remained tucked beneath his chin as though she belonged there naturally. Neither of them stirred.
They looked peaceful.
Comfortable.
Safe.
Tatiana remained still for several seconds.
Rege looked calmer than she had ever seen him.
Maya looked protected.
Something unreadable flickered briefly across Tatiana's face before she quietly closed the door almost soundlessly and returned to the living room.
The second she entered, Adela looked at her knowingly.
"Rege is still here?"
Tatiana nodded once.
Adela snorted softly, amusement flashing across her face. "Rege is really smitten."
Tatiana sighed under her breath and shook her head lightly as she headed toward the kitchen.
"Perhaps."
Cassie smiled quietly to herself before following them.
—
It was almost noon when Rege finally woke.
At first, he did not open his eyes.
He simply remained still, aware of the warmth resting against him.
Maya slept peacefully in his arms beneath the blankets, one hand curled lightly against his chest while her soft breathing brushed faintly against his neck.
Rege slowly opened his eyes.
Golden sunlight now filtered through the curtains, filling the room with gentle warmth. Dust particles drifted lazily through the quiet air while the city shimmered brightly beyond the windows.
For a long moment, he simply looked at her.
He had not slept like this in years.
No restless exhaustion.
No endless hours staring into darkness while his mind refused to quiet itself.
Insomnia had followed him for most of his life, relentless and familiar.
Yet beside Maya—
He had slept deeply.
Peacefully.
Completely.
The realization settled heavily inside him.
His fingers moved slowly against her back beneath the blankets, stroking gently before he lowered his head and pressed a soft kiss against her hair.
Then another.
He closed his eyes briefly and inhaled slowly.
Her scent wrapped around him completely.
Warm.
Soft.
Intoxicating.
And strangely—
He did not want to question why.
Eventually, practicality forced him to move.
With considerable difficulty due to Maya sleeping heavily against his arm, Rege reached toward the bedside drawer for his phone. The awkward position should have irritated him.
Instead, he found himself almost amused by it.
After retrieving the phone, he checked the time before glancing through his unread messages. Earlier that dawn, after they had returned from the kitchen, he had texted James instructing him to clear his schedule entirely for the day.
James had obeyed without question.
Rege ordered lunch from one of Manhattan's finest restaurants before setting the phone aside again.
The moment his attention returned to Maya, something warm softened quietly inside him.
She pouted faintly in her sleep.
Then moments later, she smiled softly, revealing the dimple in her left cheek.
Rege stared at her helplessly.
A genuine smile spread slowly across his face before he could stop it.
She looked absolutely mesmerizing.
Several minutes later, Maya stirred lightly against him.
Her lashes fluttered slowly as consciousness gradually returned, though she instinctively burrowed closer into his warmth before opening her eyes completely.
The first thing she saw was Rege smiling at her.
Sleepy confusion crossed her face briefly before she smiled brightly back at him.
"Good morning, Rege," she murmured drowsily.
Rege's smile deepened slightly.
"It is already afternoon, Krasota."
His deep husky voice wrapped around her softly, immediately pulling her further awake.
Then reality returned.
Everything from the previous night rushed back into Maya's mind all at once.
Her eyes widened.
She sat upright so abruptly it almost startled him.
Instantly, Rege missed the warmth of her against him.
Maya quickly pushed loose strands of hair behind her ear while turning away, trying unsuccessfully to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks.
Unfortunately for her—
Rege had already noticed.
She hurried toward the curtains and pulled them open, flooding the room with brilliant sunlight. Manhattan stretched endlessly outside the windows, glowing beneath the afternoon sky.
When Maya turned back around, Rege stood watching her intently.
Of course he was.
She rolled her eyes immediately despite the warmth spreading through her chest and crossed the room toward him.
"Go freshen up in the guest room," she muttered while grabbing his hand and dragging him toward the door.
Rege allowed it easily.
An unmistakable smirk rested lazily on his lips the entire time.
The second she closed the door of her room behind him, Maya slid dramatically onto the floor beside it.
"Oh my God," she whispered, clutching her hair with both hands. "Maya, what have you done? What is wrong with you?"
Her face burned hotter with every passing second.
After remaining there mortified for nearly a minute, she forced herself up and headed toward the bathroom.
Cool water helped slightly.
Only slightly.
By the time she emerged, she wore a soft beige dress with thin straps resting above her knees while her dirty blonde hair had been twisted into a messy bun. Several loose strands framed her face naturally.
She inhaled deeply before finally leaving her room.
The living room remained quiet.
Only Rege sat there.
He looked entirely too relaxed for someone responsible for her current emotional crisis.
Sunlight pouring through the windows illuminated the sharp lines of his face and the dark intensity of his eyes.
Maya rolled her eyes despite the smile threatening her lips before sitting across from him.
Rege nodded calmly toward the dining area.
"Lunch is ready."
Only then did Maya notice the dining table fully arranged with food.
She blinked in surprise before standing again.
Rege followed closely behind her and smoothly pulled out her chair before she could do it herself.
The gesture caught her completely off guard.
And annoyingly—
She found it endearing.
They settled into lunch quietly.
Not awkwardly.
Simply aware.
The penthouse felt peaceful around them. Afternoon sunlight stretched warmly across the marble counters while distant city sounds drifted faintly through the windows.
Maya kept stealing glances at him between bites while Rege made absolutely no effort to hide the fact that he was openly watching her.
Every single time she looked up, his gaze was already on her.
It should have unsettled her.
Instead, it made her heartbeat quicken embarrassingly fast.
A few minutes later, Cassie entered carrying folded laundry.
She smiled warmly at Maya.
"Adela left with Tatiana to run some errands. Tatiana also went to the firm and said you should take care of yourself. She said the two of you will talk when she gets back."
Maya immediately understood the deeper meaning hidden beneath those words.
Her cheeks warmed again.
"Thank you, Cassie," she replied softly.
Cassie smiled knowingly before leaving them alone once more.
Silence settled around the dining table afterward.
Softer than before.
Heavier too.
Maya glanced carefully toward Rege only to find him already watching her again.
"Don't you have to be at work?" she asked curiously, her British accent thickening slightly around the words.
Rege held her gaze steadily.
"I want to be here," he said calmly.
Then after the briefest pause—
"With you."
The sincerity in his voice stole the breath from her lungs.
Maya lowered her head immediately to hide her blush, though judging from the faint satisfaction crossing his expression, Rege had already noticed it.
Outside, New York continued moving endlessly beyond the penthouse windows, alive and unaware that something quiet but irreversible had shifted between them.
Maya tried focusing on her food.
On the city.
On literally anything except the dangerous warmth settling deeper inside her chest whenever Rege looked at her.
But every glance betrayed her completely.
Across from her, Rege remained calm outwardly, though something unfamiliar had settled deeply inside him as well.
He had spent years mastering control over every aspect of his life. Discipline had become instinct long ago, woven so deeply into him that almost nothing managed to disturb it anymore.
Yet Maya disrupted him effortlessly.
Without calculation.
Without intention.
Without even realizing she was doing it.
And somehow—
He did not dislike it.
That realization alone should have unsettled him.
Instead, it only made him watch her more.
The loose strands escaping her messy bun.
The way she avoided his gaze for several seconds before inevitably looking back at him anyway.
The faint blush lingering across her cheeks every time their eyes met.
She was trying so hard to appear unaffected.
She was failing beautifully.
Maya could still feel his attention lingering on her like warmth against her skin. Every movement suddenly felt too noticeable beneath his gaze. Even lifting her glass or tucking loose strands of hair behind her ear felt strangely intimate.
And somehow, none of it felt forced.
That frightened her slightly.
Not because she disliked it.
Because she liked it far too much.
The realization settled quietly inside her chest while sunlight spilled across the dining table between them.
Outside, distant traffic continued threading through Manhattan while afternoon light reflected brilliantly against surrounding skyscrapers.
Life continued normally beyond those walls.
Inside the penthouse, however—
Everything had changed.
Neither of them said it aloud.
Neither of them needed to.
Because somewhere between the sleepless night, tangled blankets, quiet touches, lingering gazes, and unspoken promises, something undeniable had already begun growing between them.
Something soft.
Dangerous.
Irreversible.
For now, however, the penthouse remained wrapped in quiet warmth around them.
Maya lowered her gaze again, pretending to focus on her lunch while Rege watched her with calm unwavering intensity.
And despite all her confusion, one dangerous truth echoed softly through her mind.
She did not want him to leave.