had already decided wh

before I eve

. Inside was a dress-tailored, elegant, expensive in the way that whispered ins

hosen

on the bed,

ast at

ng at

pearance

ture. No

nstruc

, unused-looking, like even steam wasn't allowed to linger here. I dressed slowly, adjusting t

the hallway, Margare

ingsley," she said. "

opri

Not comfortable

we going?

he Kingsley Foundation downtown," she rep

d I say if someone as

were married privately. You're ve

sounded

hey ask h

opped

to fa

onger reached her eyes. "Then you'll l

ning. Delive

ng something on his tablet. He looked up when I entered, his gaze fl

he sai

word as l

nce. Breakfast appeared without conversation. I noticed how the staff never s

not looking up. "Photos. A sho

. "And a

go

o

till didn'

phone, his attention fully elsewhere. I watched the city pass by, feeling oddly disconne

d, the change

eople smiled. C

Kings

atulat

ley-lovely

ngratulations spoken like assumptions. I smiled the way Margare

led lightly at the

most polite-but it anchored

side, we loo

e him, nodding at the right moments, laughing when others laughed, s

aid to me, smiling brightly. "Y

back. "Th

slid out

-a signal I didn't yet underst

step for step, like

r leaned closer. "Was t

less. "Some things ar

light. The me

ly. "Of course. Love like

o

tighten slightly be

eserved for donors. The door closed, cuttin

tween us retur

liot said, already

" I re

tion," he clarified

ifted-not dramatically

re this was a

t mine briefly. "Ev

rds li

er of my eye. In public, he was warm enough to

etreated behind

which versi

neithe

formance ended the moment

to a staff member, and turned to me.

r

d felt

ore I could second-guess mysel

pau

ng enough for my

," he said. "Stay wit

the property?"

N

e. Ab

lk away, then st

ked a

anyone here," he said. "Jus

ication

simply by wanting

gardens were immaculate-too immaculate. Even nature here felt cont

y eyes I could see, but by subtle shifts. Cameras angled dis

't wan

eing mo

ion sat heav

th curved-and beyond it, partially obsc

atic. No dark tower

e that felt... quieter. St

surfaced

near the

ped wa

longer than

from this angle.

prickle-not fear, exactly. Cur

efore I could t

atching the house prepare for evening. Lights

e, everything

like living inside a

I didn't see

hear

The faint sound of a door opening-then

ter, I heard s

didn't belo

pa

quiet

door l

r unl

ed, heart ste

e held i

ght settled into place-slow,

e was only abou

o much secrecy when