Three days.
It had been three days since Lucien found me in the library. Three days since he promised me peace. Three days since he looked at me with that burning, terrifying intensity that made my knees weak.
And for three days, he had treated me like I was invisible.
He didn't come to the dining room for breakfast anymore. Mrs. Higgins collected the trays and took them to his study, returning them an hour later, empty and silent.
He didn't walk past the kitchen. He didn't summon me to critique the sauce or complain about the texture of the bread.
The castle, which had felt so electric and dangerous just a few days ago, now felt cold. Empty.
I stood at the stainless steel island, chopping carrots with aggressive force. Chop. Chop. Chop.
"Is something wrong with the vegetables, Miss
