I spent the entire afternoon staring at my phone.
No messages.
No calls.
No sign of Lucien.
I told myself I wasn’t worried.
We barely knew each other.
He didn’t owe me updates.
So why did I keep checking the time?
At exactly seven o’clock, Thomas appeared in the living room.
“Dinner is ready, Mrs. Kingston.”
I glanced toward the front door.
“I think I’ll wait.”
A knowing smile crossed his face.
“Mr. Kingston asked me to make sure you eat.”
“I’ll eat when he gets home.”
Thomas hesitated.
“He may be very late tonight.”
I nodded.
“Then I’ll be very hungry.”
He chuckled softly before leaving me alone.
⸻
By nine-thirty…
The mansion felt too quiet.
I wandered into the library.
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stretched around the room.
One wall was filled with framed photogr
