Ashton watched from the shadows of the second-floor window, his expression impassive as Lucas’s sleek car disappeared into the inky night, its headlights piercing the darkness in fading beams. The lingering glow of the taillights was the last sign of his old friend’s presence as Lucas finally departed the mansion grounds. Lucas had insisted on staying over, making his request with the easy confidence of someone long familiar with Ashton’s hospitality. But Ashton had anticipated it, brushing off the suggestion with a convincing yet calculated excuse, murmuring something vague about feeling unwell. The scrutinizing gaze Lucas shot him had lingered for a beat, as though detecting the faintest hint of a lie, yet he’d eventually relented, his footsteps echoing down the hallway, fading as he dis
