After leaving Raya's room at dawn, Adrian returned to his study.
Sleep never followed him easily, not after nights like this. Not after choices that bent people's lives into shapes they never asked for.
The study was dim, lit only by the thin strip of morning light slipping through the tall glass windows and the faint glow of the desk lamp he had forgotten to turn off the night before. The room smelled faintly of leather, old books, and the bitter edge of untouched coffee. Everything here was deliberate, the shelves aligned with precision, the files stacked in exact order, the silence heavy enough to suffocate weakness.
Adrian sat behind his desk and forced himself to work.
Documents were reviewed. Calls were answered. Orders were issued. Wedding preparations were approved with cold efficiency, venues, security details, guest lists, contingencies. Everything moved according to plan. Everything had to.
