Santiago stayed for several minutes, watching her in silence, making sure she took enough. When he was satisfied, he slid the tray aside and tucked the blanket around her shoulders.
"Done," he said simply. "Stay in bed. Do not move around. If you bed aunything Mateo can handle everything else."
He left without waiting for a response, the door closing behind him with a soft click. The bedside lamp cast a gentle glow over the white room.
Downstairs, Santiago ate his own dinner in the formal dining room with the same coldness, that marked every part of his life. When he finished, he retreated first to his study, then to his bedroom, and the mansion settled into deep silence.
Hours later, at 2 AM, that silence shattered.
Daniella woke suddenly, jolted by a ragged, desperate cry, of a human, raw, and far too close.
