etween the duck and the silence. She wasn't full. She wasn't annoyed. Just done. The candlelight d

ld curtains framing wide windows, chandeliers that sparkled like ice. It was the kind of place

om the head of the table like she was a painting in a museum. Studied. Interpreted. Never touched. His sleeves were sti

was waiting for. Perhaps n

st

dn't

g to bed,

didn'

not h

d calm. "You di

. "I wasn't aware

those eyes of his. He didn't challenge her decision, which only made her more aware tha

he table and took a st

ng on the floor, not hurried, no

ing room doors were pulled open from the i

intentional. Red lipstick. Long earrings. Her hair pulled into a twist that exposed every inch of her neck. It wasn't the beauty that made Lucia pause

to Lucia first. The

aid softly. "This b

here she was, her posture

looked at the woman, then

nvited," he sa

ction. She walked past Lucia without a glance, straight to the table, and rested her hand against t

didn't

er. She turned ba

oman asked, her voice co

looked over her shoulder. "

her eyes finally meeting

"I don't return fav

a little tighte

once. "Cong

inked. "F

lf like someone still

nzo s

aise his voice. He didn't touch either of them. He s

eave," he

her mouth parting s

heard

again, sharper now. "She d

door without looking b

You think you're something special because you walked

" Vincen

na f

in the room changed when he spoke. Eve

" he said. "And I don

e waiting for her. Lucia didn't need to gloat. She did

y winning by n

but when she moved to walk

uc

pa

ta

lder, just once. "You do

en she

ry. She simply stood for a moment in the middle of the bedroom and exhaled. She wasn't angry. Not jealous. She had just seen something she didn'

ning room, Sie

"So she walks awa

said. "She doesn't throw glasse

ard him. "And wh

dn't

ike women who

to be fought o

ed to l

her a lo

en you realized silence wouldn't get you wha

g that girl because it suits your busine

. "I'm not pret

w you loo

ck. "Then sto

e walked to the door, not rushing, but the confiden

kiss his

t with

s what stun

e doorway Lucia had walked through. He didn't chase either of the

tly what

at. The silence felt different now-cleaner. Like a room purged of noise it never asked for. He rolled his sh

ck when he re

stened for a moment, then t

adn't l

n't nee

n her lap again, not clenched, not shaking-just still. She stared ahead at nothing in particular, the chan

hoever that woman was. But maybe she had. Maybe deep down she'd always known me

that matte

had ten wome

en't her

c creasing just slightly under her body's weight. For the first time that night, she allowed herself to tak

ly's survival, not her heart's hunger. That didn't mean she would play the quiet wif

at was

finally came,

dn't a

cracked o

ked around the room once, noting the untouched water glass on the van

away," he

move. "You di

d

looked at

cross the invisible line between t

lightly. "Is that suppo

't need to defend

ot mocking, not amused. Just a

ed defendin

d once.

n. Not desire. Just something quietly forming in the dark

f his shirt. The tattoos on his forearm caught the light-sharp lines, b

being here

dn't d

the villain i

A man who uses a brother to trap a woman

dn't

. She stepped forward until they were nearly face to face

ies," she said. "I d

do you

ted, her eyes sharp. "Respect. And s

her a secon

give yo

kno

open, letting the breeze hit her face. The rain had stopped, but t

for a moment longer

ings moved to the

aid n

dn't

e with the same care she hadn't exp

feel like

like a b

iet

was the most