I hummed softly as I wiped down the hallway furniture, my movements swift and practiced. The morning sunlight filtered through the tall windows, casting a warm glow on the polished floors. Cleaning had become second nature to me by now—a task that kept my hands busy and my mind distracted. And with the good pay I was receiving here, I couldn't even complain.
I crouched down to dust the lower part of a cabinet when I felt a shadow loom over me. Instinctively, I glanced up, and my breath hitched for a moment.
Lucian.
He stood at the end of the hallway, watching me with an unreadable expression. He wasn’t dressed as sharply as usual—his shirt was unbuttoned at the top, and his sleeves were lazily rolled up to his elbows, revealing the strong muscles of his forearms.
For a moment, neither
