After his tense exchange in the bull-pen, Julian Vance’s mind worked with the precision of a Swiss watch. He had successfully redirected the heat toward the slovenly Su Jian, but the game was far from over.
Outside, at the De Molay residence at 83 Avenue Foch, the atmosphere was deceptively domestic. Madame Claire, the family’s longtime housekeeper, brought out a tray with two steaming bowls of Bouillabaisse and a side of crusty baguette. She stood back with a small, satisfied smile, watching Julian and Elodie eat in the sun-drenched breakfast nook.
Madame Claire had noticed the shift. Since the previous evening, the friction between the master’s niece and her "scoundrel" husband seemed to have smoothed into something resembling a truce. At the very least, Elodie no longer looked at Juli
