Seraphina's POV
The second I spoke, Mortimer froze. His grip on the silver cutlery tightened until his knuckles turned white.
"If you want an update on Rolf, you don't need the dinner and the jewelry," I said.
I looked him dead in the eye, my voice as flat as a post-op report. "Taking care of patients and their families is my job. If you have questions, ask me at the healing center next time."
Mortimer blinked. For a split second, he looked completely blindsided.
The usual "Alpha in charge" mask cracked, leaving him looking raw and awkward.
Finally, he let out a slow, heavy sigh and set his fork down. Those dark, intense eyes of his stayed locked on mine, but the aggression was gone. Now, they were just full of this heavy, desperate sincerity. "You really can't tell... that I'm tryin
