Chapter 10
Grayson watched as Aurora disappeared beyond the dining hall doors. Her figure was tense, her steps slightly rigid. Was she offended? Disheartened? The way she had reacted earlier lingered in his mind, unsettling him more than he liked to admit. Could she be developing feelings for him?
The thought was almost laughable.
And yet, if it were true… it might be worth celebrating.
Still, a part of him rejected the idea entirely.
He set down his cup and leaned back, eyes drifting toward where she had vanished. An unfamiliar irritation gnawed at him—directed not at her, but himself. Aurora was a disruption. An anomaly in the meticulously controlled world he had built. She wasn’t supposed to matter.
But she did.
Last night, he had stood outside her room, ready to walk away. He ha
