The morning after the gala felt like a fever dream. The sapphire on Elara’s finger caught the light of the rising sun, casting blue prisms across the breakfast nook. For a few hours, the world was quiet. Leo was busy showing Mia how to "properly" eat a croissant, and Lucian was actually ignoring his three buzzing phones to watch Elara brew coffee.
"You’re staring," Elara said, a playful smile on her lips.
"I’m admiring my investment," Lucian teased, pulling her into the crook of his arm. "The market opened ten minutes ago. Thorne Industries and ScentTech are being viewed as a single powerhouse. We’re invincible."
"Nobody is invincible, Lucian," Elara cautioned, though she leaned into his heat. "We still have the trial, and the media circus, and—"
The heavy oak doors of the penthouse di
