That morning arrived with a deceptive calm.
Sunlight slipped through the tall windows of the dining room, glinting softly off polished silverware and neatly arranged white porcelain. The scent of warm bread and morning tea filled the air, yet Valerie barely noticed it. She sat across from Demian, her posture straight, her movements graceful yet her mind was elsewhere.
Last night still lingered in her thoughts. Her family's faces. Their victorious smiles. And the way Demian had ended everything with money quickly, cleanly, without emotion.
Demian himself looked as he always did. Calm. Controlled. As though the world had never truly managed to shake him. He cut his food with precise movements, took a sip of tea, and then spoke.
"I'll come for you tonight," he said evenly.
Valerie paused, then lifted her gaze. "Come for me?"
"For what?"
Demian glanced at her briefly before returning to his breakfast. "You'll accompany me to Baron Kael's party."
