After Adrian left Raya's room, he didn't slow his steps or look back.
The door remained ajar behind him, the broken lock still unrepaired, the silence inside thick with the remnants of tears and fear. Adrian didn't acknowledge it. He rarely did. Once something was done, it was done. Emotions were liabilities, and rooms soaked in them were not places he lingered.
He walked straight down the corridor toward his study.
The lights inside were already on.
That alone made him pause.
Adrian stepped inside and found the last person he expected, or wanted, to see.
Lucas.
He was sprawled casually on one of the leather chairs, long legs stretched out, one ankle resting over the opposite knee. A glass of something amber sat on the table beside him, untouched. He looked far too comfortable for a man who had clearly let himself into a place that wasn't his.
When he noticed Adrian, Lucas grinned.
"Hi, sweetheart."
Adrian's expression didn't change.
"What are you doing here?"
