ADRIEN POV
The silence pressed in, thicker than the glass walls around me. The city sprawled below, indifferent, glittering as if it hadn't just upended my life. I couldn't get her out of my head—Nora, her eyes raw with want, the way her breath had trembled against mine.
The ache in my chest was unbearable, and for the first time in years I knew the word for it: longing.
A knock. Sharp. Out of place.
When I opened the door, time folded in on itself.
"Luc."
My cousin smiled, that same easy, infuriating smile I remembered from years ago. He looked untouched by time—tailored suit, careless posture, eyes too sharp for the charm he wore like a mask.
"Adrien," he drawled, stepping inside as if no years had passed, as if he still belonged here. "It's been far too long."
I should have asked how he found me. Why now. Instead, I stood still, trying to read the intent behind his sudden reappearance.
"You look…" His gaze flicked over me with clinical precision. "Tired. Weighted down. The world has been heavy, hasn't it?"
I didn't answer.
Luc moved slowly through the room, fingertips brushing along the edge of the counter, inspecting, calculating. Always calculating. "It's strange," he said, almost lightly, "to see you… like this. You were always the one in control. Untouchable." He glanced back at me, eyes glinting. "Careful. People start to notice when you falter."
The words hit like a needle beneath the skin—small, sharp, and impossible to ignore.
"What do you want, Luc?" I asked.
His smile widened, unbothered. "I wanted to see you. Blood should not be strangers." He paused, as if savoring the line. "And perhaps to remind you… our family has always thrived because we don't let sentiment blur our vision."
Sentiment. The word stung, as if he had plucked the thought straight from my chest and laid it bare.
"Legacy first," he continued softly, almost kindly. "Always. Don't forget that."
For a moment, I saw it—the manipulation hidden in concern, the subtle hook slipped beneath words that sounded like advice. He hadn't changed.
Luc adjusted his cufflinks, already moving toward the door. "We'll see each other soon, cousin. I have a feeling the city will keep us… close."
Then he was gone, leaving the air colder than before.
I poured another drink, hands unsteady. His words clung like smoke: Don't let sentiment blur your vision. Legacy first.
But all I could see was her.
Nora.
And the terrifying truth that she wasn't a distraction. She was the only thing that felt real.