Leroy paused as he saw her standing beneath the grand staircase. His eyes flickered, just for a heartbeat, before he forced a smile, one that faltered before it fully formed.
Lorraine watched him flinch, a subtle betrayal of his composure.
Without a word, he continued walking, with large, determined strides, as though intending to retreat and lock himself away.
Lorraine followed him, not before signing to Aldric, her expression calm but firm. "Ask someone to prepare a bath for him."
Aldric nodded. Lorraine thought he would lock himself inside his room, yet instead of disappearing, he moved straight toward her room.
When he crossed the threshold, the door closed behind them without ceremony.
Then, as if driven by a force neither of them fully understood, he pulled her into a tight embrace.
Her body pressed against his, seeking warmth and connection.
She felt the stiffness in his posture, the tremble in his throat as he held her, like a man trying desperately not to shatter.
