The next week, Amelia expected the usual routine—her husband disappearing into his empire while she lingered in the shadows of his world.
But that morning, as she dressed for a charity luncheon she’d been invited to, Alexander appeared in the doorway of her room, adjusting his cufflinks.
“I’ll be attending with you,” he said matter-of-factly.
Amelia froze, staring at him. “You… what?”
His eyes lifted to hers, calm but unreadable. “I said I’ll be there. Unless you don’t want me to.”
Her heart stuttered. For weeks, she had gone to these events alone, enduring whispers and barbed smiles while Alexander kept his distance. And now—now he was volunteering to walk into the lion’s den by her side.
She swallowed. “If you come, people will… they’ll talk.”
His jaw flexed. “Let them.”
⸻
The l
