Warm amber light spilled across the apartment.
Lumi had been clinging to Elias and refusing to let go, so he carried her upstairs.
Elias sat on the sofa, his long legs stretched out at ease, the lines beneath his tailored trousers firm and defined. His deep voice was gentle as he explained the story in a children's picture book to her.
The scene felt unexpectedly harmonious.
Aria walked over, set a glass of water on the coffee table, and asked casually, "Mr. Vance, have you had dinner?"
Elias said he had been worried about her, so he followed Adrian's car over and had been waiting outside Crown Aurelia Estate the whole time. He had waited for more than an hour.
Elias lifted his gaze to her and answered in two simple words. "Not yet."
Something in Aria's chest tightened, and guilt ru
