The scent of aged leather and bitter coffee clung to the oak-paneled meeting room as Mark took his seat beside Caroline. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting elongated shadows across the map spread over the central table. He forced his breathing to remain even as the Blackwood contingent filed in, his fingers subtly checking the concealed pistol at his ankle—a violation of the truce terms, but Joseph hadn't survived this long by playing fair.
Not a single flicker of recognition passed through the Blackwoods' eyes as they passed Caroline. Scarlet's sharp amber gaze swept over their delegation with clinical assessment before moving on. Nick's hunter-trained instincts didn't so much as twitch in Caroline's direction. Even Elias only paused for half a heartbeat, his
