ouldn'

Estate, her eyes fixed on the faint pattern of moonlight filtering through

d of her. Before it

s, and if she was right... that meant

d misheard, that the tension in Victoria's voice had nothing to do with h

ssed in her crisp uniform, tying the apron around her waist with mechanical pre

se seemed louder. Busier. Staff whispered mor

her with a single look and a fleeting touch, wasn't rush

a would be seei

om when the butler, Mr. Greene, approached her wi

"Mr. Ashbourne has requested you personally

linked

he was impressed with yo

e couldn't tell if it was pride or pani

ed with family portraits and antique vases. When Maya reached the double

me

mistakable-deep,

g bookshelves lined the walls, a mahogany desk sat at the far end beneath a sunlit window, and be

nted me

rs. "Maya. Yes. I need you

gorized, sorted alphabetically, and cross-checked with the digital archive. I kno

, stepping forward

oo

nto neat piles. The room was quiet, save for the scratching of his pen a

er on the second-highest shelf and,

ped. Sh

loor, a strong hand

to find Alexander ju

ocked. Her b

thing yourself," he murmured,

r," she said softly, suddenly ve

hering me," he

at the edge of his mouth-just en

of his skin, and for a moment, she imagined what it would be like if he weren't

y clearing her throat.

than necessary. "Tell me somethin

surprise. "I... ye

ith the

jumped. "G

ipping a page. "This house has a way of

but something in his voice-some bar

"If you ever feel like you're in over your head, come

so personal, so unguarded-that f

finally manage

es linge

to his work, and t

den to catch her breath, she felt... different. Not ju

t time since coming to t

Not just as a ma

ew that wa

t study, with his hand brushing hers and his voice soft

s already begi

unaware that from a second-story window, Victoria w

lose," Victoria whis

crackled. "Then it's time we remi