ose restr

. It gave his enemies space to misstep, to be

this morning wou

d it appear on his tablet while he finished buttoning hi

TION - EMERGENCY

d not

r influence behind philanthropy, where money moved quietly and loyalty was purchased with invitations and pr

he thought

t one

oc

was

ly behind glass walls. Assistants spoke in hushed, urgent tones. The building fe

waiting

mposed-but her eyes gave her away. They were sharp now. Assessing. She h

d, stepping into

Allowed her the co

cour

The foundation is under review. Th

Lucien as

st a fraction. "We've

nity," he correc

m. People nearby pretended no

ce. "This isn't how fami

lmost like sadness flickered through him-quick

to confuse sentim

h caught.

rst cut had been clean. Bloodless. Public eno

were distancing themselves. Vivienne would spend the night mak

hed none of

oom-one without windows, without ceremony. The

alread

her, tablet untouched. No suit jacket. No pretense. She

said. Not accusing. Not im

ed the door

her mind-brilliant, relentless, impossible to intimidate. He had kept

it," h

Too long. Most people rushed to fil

ing for her to lo

harder than Viv

ut internally, like a door slam

aid. "That's not

e her fully now.

ng her arms. "That you

e it

ambition. No

gnit

d slide down his spine. "

," she continued. "And you're not detached enough for it to be ea

He should have reminded her

he said

and because she wasn't

e me," Lucien said f

-not pity, not rever

rsta

y move you make is an act of resistance. Not just agai

looke

im more than bet

owable. Being seen meant being vuln

d saving," h

plied. "That's wh

asn't predatory. It was heavy. Intimate.

ming control piece by piece

. "Of cours

Ell

and knowing. "He'l

monster in him approved.

e said. "

hest remained-but so did something else.

eared w

ng

was