Ava watched Zach with a gaze she didn't realize she was holding—one hand still lingering on the doorknob, as though she might flee at any moment. The sound of his watch gently clicking against the surface of the side table snapped her out of it.
He removed it with practiced grace, the motion fluid and coldly elegant. Next, his fingers went to his tie, loosening it with a tug before letting it hang, slightly askew. Zach had literally went back to his villain arc just like the first time. Controlled gestures, devoid of fuss, but precise enough to feel calculated. Disarming in how effortlessly detached he appeared.
When he finally turned to face her, she found herself still rooted by the doorframe, half-sheltered by the shadow Butler Eduardo had left behind when he respectfully excused himself and pulled the heavy door closed with a dull click.
