Chapter Twenty
When I emerge onto the balcony, I find Gabriel already there. Instead of looking out over the expansive lawns and hedge maze, he gazes down at a small marble piece—white and glinting. His thumb brushes over it in a way that feels definitely s****l. Definitely invasive. The rest of the pieces remain on the board where we left them during our last game, where I had bested him. Checkmate. Of course he always gets his revenge in the physical sense. My cheeks heat as I remember what he did to me after.
Then he had been dominant. A little playful.
Now he seems pensive, his handsome expression drawn tight. His golden eyes gaze at the small marble statue as if it holds answers. As if he can unlock them with sight alone.
An air of melancholy squeezes my heart. Gabriel’s confidenc
