Elena slid into the chair opposite Lisa and reached for a napkin, the linen cool and stiff against her fingers. She picked up a croissant, tore off a piece, and forced herself to chew. The flaky pastry turned to paste in her mouth.
“—and I swear, the way he looked at the menu, you’d think it was written in ancient Greek.” Lisa laughed, gesturing with a jam-smeared knife. “Like bro, it’s eggs. Read the words.”
Elena nodded. Took another bite. Swallowed without tasting.
“You’re not hearing a word I’m saying.”
The knife clicked against the plate as Lisa set it down. Elena looked up, caught. Lisa’s eyes narrowed, not angry, just peeling away the act.
“Sorry,” Elena said. “I’m listening now.”
“Was it that bad? Asking him for another day?” Lisa leaned forward, her voice lower now, private. “If he said no, just tell me. I can grab the train.”
Elena shook her head. “I haven’t asked him yet.” She set the torn croissant down. “I couldn’t find him. He was… elsewhere.” Guiding a crying girl through a corridor. She pushed that image down. “I’ll find him after breakfast. Don’t worry. I’ll ask.”
Lisa studied her for a long moment, then picked up her coffee and took a sip. “Alright. But you’re a terrible liar, Rossi. You know that, right?”
Elena didn’t answer. She finished her coffee in silence, let the warmth settle in her chest, and stood. “I’ll be right back.”
The hallway was empty when she stepped out. The manor breathed around her—creaking wood, distant footsteps, the low hum of activity somewhere below. She turned toward the main wing and nearly collided with Presley, who appeared from a side corridor as if summoned.
“Miss Rossi.” He inclined his head. “Mr. Thorn is in the library, if you’re looking for him.”
Elena blinked. “How did you—”
Presley’s expression didn’t shift. “I make it my business to know where people are, miss. It saves time.” He gestured to the floor above. “The library.”
She thanked him and walked, her heels soft on the runner. Reaching the library door, she found it ajar, a sliver of warm light cutting across the dark wood floor. She pushed it open.
Liam sat in the deep leather armchair by the fireplace, a ledger open across his lap. His jacket was off, shirtsleeves rolled to his elbows, the bandage on his chest a pale square visible through the open collar. He looked up when she entered, and the ledger closed with a soft thump. He set it aside, his attention settling on her like a weight.
Elena stopped a few feet from him. “I need to ask you something.”
He waited.
“Lisa. Can she stay another night? Just tonight. She’ll leave in the morning.”
Liam’s gaze held hers. There was no calculation in it, no game. He simply nodded. “Yes.”
Her eyes opened in surprise. She had expected a deal. A new contract. Something…
"After the events of last night, I want to ensure you both are ok." He said. His voice a little softer than before. “You two were drugged under my care, and that is unforgivable. Please have her stay to ensure she is ok.”
She stood there, shocked. A sense of security started to grow inside her. “Thank you, Sir.” Her voice quickly let out.
“Elena.”
She stopped.
His voice was low, unhurried. “I command. Come here.” He pointed to the floor directly in front of him. “And kneel.”
Her breath caught. The command landed soft but absolute, like a door clicking shut. She hesitated—just a beat, just enough to feel the weight of the choice—then remembered the words she’d agreed to. “Yes, Sir.” She crossed the distance, lowered herself to her knees on the rug before him, and waited.
Liam studied her from above, his blue eyes tracing her face. Then his hand lifted, and his fingers brushed her hair back from her temple, slow, deliberate. The touch was warm and patient, and it undid something she hadn’t realized she was holding together.
As she knelt before him, he reached out. Taking his hand, he gently stroked across her cheekbone, slowly caressing her face. The touch was soft and warm. Calm and Caring. He then moved his hand and placed it on her head. Slowly rubbing. Relaxing.
His hand was heavy and warm against her scalp. His fingers moved through the thick waves of her hair with a slow, methodical rhythm, parting the strands, the pads of his thumbs pressing in small circles at her temples. The silence stretched, filled only by the whisper of his skin against hers. Her knees pressed against the soft rug, but the discomfort was distant, secondary to the hypnotic pull of his touch. She could feel every callus, every ridge of his palm. She closed her eyes, her breath leaving her in a long, shaky exhale she hadn't meant to release.
The tension she’d carried in her neck since waking began to unravel under his hand. It was a freeing, loosening. Her shoulders dropped. The rigid line of her spine softened. The strength of his arms as they moved next to her. She found herself leaning into it. The scent of him—clean linen, expensive soap, something darker beneath—wrapped around her.
He didn’t speak. He just kept touching her, his exploration moving back to her temples to trace the shell of her ear, the line of her jaw. His thumb brushed the corner of her mouth as his hand pulled away. Her lips parted. A silent gasp. The air in the library was cool, but where his skin met hers, it burned.
Finally, he stilled. His other hand came up, two fingers tilting her chin until she had no choice but to look at him. The flamelight danced in his flat, assessing eyes. She could see his face, reading hers. The heat from the flush of her cheeks. The deep blue of his eyes was watching hers. The way she could feel her lips tremble.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice a low rasp.
The question caught her off guard. It cut through the drugged haze of his ministrations. Okay?
Only then did the memory of the maid come back to her. In turn, the night before. Flooded back into her head all the stresses she had. Was she ok? No. She wasn’t. How could she be?
“I’m Ok.” She lied, looking for any escape. Who was this man before her, so kind and gentle, yet so fearsome and demanding?
“Enjoy your day, please take it easy.” He said, his voice lower than usual. “You both should feel free to use and wander the premises. Just don’t leave the premises.”