Mara POV
The next morning arrives too quickly. I barely slept, my mind replaying the photoshoot in Lucien’s bedroom—the way his hand found mine, the look in his eyes that felt too real. But when dawn breaks through my bedroom window, I push it all down and rebuild my walls brick by careful brick.
By nine AM, the library has been transformed again. The couch has been repositioned facing two cameras. Catherine sits across from us in an armchair, looking polished and ruthlessly professional. She’s conducting the actual interview herself—we can’t risk an outside journalist asking questions we haven’t prepared for. The footage will be held, ready to release the moment Evelyn leaks the contract. Our preemptive strike.
Lucien’s arm comes around my shoulders as we sit. The gesture is automatic
