Victor reclaimed his seat with the same grace he might've used to reclaim a kingdom. Elias, meanwhile, picked up his spoon again like nothing had happened.
"You're not going to say anything about the ring?" Victor asked, propping his elbow on the table, chin balanced against the back of his hand like he had nowhere better to be and all the time in the world to stare.
"I already said yes," Elias replied, reaching for the fruit parfait. His tone was composed, but his new ring was not. It was shamelessly radiant, absorbing the morning light and throwing it back like it had something to prove. "Honestly, I don't want to know how much it cost."
"Oh, it didn't cost anything," Victor said with a wide smile.
Elias paused. Then he narrowed his eyes like a man waiting for a punchline he already regretted hearing.
Victor leaned back, absurdly pleased. "I forged it."
Elias blinked. "You… what?"
