Elara's POV
He spent most of the meal looking after Mia, cutting her food without being asked, redirecting her gently when she lost focus. I watched him and felt something warm and slightly alarming settle in my chest.
Outside my building, Mia took Samuel's hand.
"Tomorrow?" she asked.
"Mia," I said. "Samuel has things—"
"I do," he said. "In the morning." He looked at her, serious now, speaking to her instead of over her head. "I'm meeting a friend at ten. We're signing some paperwork." He glanced at me briefly. "I asked him to sell me the swim center."
I stared at him.
"You bought it."
"I was planning to invest in the city regardless," he said. "It's a reasonable acquisition. And it means Mia has somewhere to practice whenever she wants." He held up a hand before I could respond.
