Scarlett’s POV
The ride home was silent.
Jasper said nothing as the city lights flickered past the tinted windows. His jaw was tight, his fingers drumming once against his knee before stilling again. I didn’t speak either. I wasn’t ready. Not yet.
I needed space, space to let the night finish unraveling in my head, to quiet the noise that clung to me like the scent of champagne and tension.
When we reached the estate, he stepped out first and extended a hand toward me.
I stared at it for a breath too long.
Then, with deliberate poise, I took it. Let him feel what it was like to hold a woman he couldn’t control anymore.
Inside, the mansion felt colder than usual. Quieter. The kind of silence that pressed against your skin like a warning.
I didn’t stop walking until I was at the foot
