The sun had barely dipped behind the Carter estate's west wall when Dina stepped out onto the garden terrace. The evening air was crisp, scented faintly with trimmed hedges and jasmine. She wrapped her silk robe tighter around her, but it wasn't the cold that made her shiver.
Her thoughts were elsewhere—on Raymond.
Their interactions had been minimal at best since the wedding. Civil. Polite. Distant. She knew it was part of the deal, but lately, she had found herself waiting to hear his footsteps down the hall. Watching the door. Wondering if she'd ever mean something more to him.
The clink of a glass broke her reverie. She turned to find Andre stepping out through the side doors, two tumblers in hand.
"Didn't think I'd find you hiding out here," he said with a half-smile, offering her a drink.
"I wasn't hiding," she replied, taking it anyway.
"No?" he asked, settling beside her. "Because that's usually what people do when they're staring into space and not blinking."
Dina chuckled softly, gaze still ahead. "I'm just thinking."
"About him?" Andre asked without hesitation.
Dina didn't respond. Her silence was answer enough.
There was a quiet pause before Andre spoke again, his tone softer, less playful. "You know, when I first met you, I thought Raymond was the lucky one."
She turned to him, brow raised. "You barely knew me."
"I didn't have to," he said. "Some people just… carry light. You did. You still do."
She looked away quickly, her throat tightening.
"I'm not naïve, Andre. This marriage—it's just paper and pressure. He reminds me of that every time he walks past me like I'm furniture."
Andre's jaw tensed. "He's a fool."
Dina exhaled slowly. "He's not cruel. Just... uninterested."
Silence fell between them again, broken only by the occasional rustle of wind through the trees.
"I wish things were different," Andre murmured, barely above a whisper.
Dina looked at him then—really looked at him. There was something vulnerable in his expression, something he rarely let show. She saw the depth of what he wasn't saying.
But she also saw something else.
Pity.
And that made her retreat.
"I should go in," she said quickly, standing. "It's getting cold."
Andre stood as well, blocking her path gently. "You don't have to pretend with me, Dina. I'm not asking for anything. I just don't like seeing you fade like this."
She searched his eyes, but her voice had cooled. "Thank you, Andre. But I'm fine."
He nodded, a small, wounded smile on his lips. "Sure. Just… don't lose yourself chasing someone who doesn't see you."
Dina turned without a word and walked back inside, her footsteps soft against the marble floors. She didn't look back.
But her heart was thundering.
She wasn't chasing Raymond.
Was she?