Sleep eluded me. I tossed and turned, my heart pounding loud enough to drown out the silence. My thoughts churned, replaying every word I had said to Hadrian. Why had my question angered him so deeply? And, more importantly, was he still upset? I hoped not. Our relationship was already fragile, teetering on a delicate balance even without unnecessary conflicts. At least Lucian seemed less inclined to hold any prejudices against me. Without him, my job would have been exponentially harder.
When morning came, it felt as though I hadn’t rested at all. I dragged myself to the sink and splashed cold water on my face—over and over—until I resembled something vaguely human. Not that I had ever looked particularly ethereal before. My relationship with cosmetics was basic at best. In twenty-five y
