It was strange how quickly the day settled into something quiet—almost peaceful—after how intense everything had been. Or maybe it wasn’t the day that changed. Maybe it was just me, drifting through the hours with Ray’s kiss still lingering on my lips, soft and warm and impossible to forget.
Later in the afternoon, the mansion sank into a tranquil stillness. The staff moved quietly somewhere on the other floors, the distant hum of footsteps echoing through long hallways. The sunlight thinned into a gentler gold, spilling across the marble floors and illuminating the ornate frames hanging along the walls.
Ray had stepped into his office for a short meeting—something he had only agreed to do after kissing me one last time before leaving the courtyard, his thumb brushing my chin like he was
