Laura had knocked only once. The sound barely echoed before she stepped back from the door. She moved away, not hesitantly, but swiftly and with certainty. Her feet planted themselves on the worn wooden boards of the porch. She stood just a few feet from the chipped threshold. Just enough distance to keep her posture, to create a space between them, to hold a gap there that didn’t need to be said aloud.
The door creaked open almost immediately. Laura didn’t flinch. He was already there, already waiting. Caspian had known she would come, that she would be punctual, that he wouldn’t have to go looking. The barest nod, a flicker of movement. No smile. No practiced charm. Just him. He stepped aside, letting her in.
She strode past him without hesitation, each step purposeful, almost resoundi
