Kaius leaned back in his chair, his eyes dark. The warmth in the room did little to thaw the strange cold that settled between them, tension suspended in the air like a string stretched taut, ready to snap with the slightest wrong word.
He turned his head slowly toward her, his jaw tightening for a fraction of a second before his voice broke the silence, calm and firm but carrying the weight of every unsaid thing between them.
"After my first rejection," he said, the words falling heavy, "I never expected I'd get a second chance… or at least, not this fast."
Raya tensed, her gaze locked on the untouched glass of wine in front of her, her fingers gently tracing the rim as if anchoring herself. But his next words made her breath catch.
"And considering that it's with you, of all people…
