The mansion had grown quieter after Noah left.
Aria sat near the living room window with a book resting open in her lap, but she hadn't turned a single page in the last fifteen minutes.
Her mind remained upstairs with Rafael and Noah, with the strange tension that had appeared the moment Noah asked to speak privately.
Something about it didn't feel normal.
Not the way Noah's expression changed and Rafael avoided looking at her before leaving the room.
Aria glanced toward the staircase again unconsciously.Still nothing.
A faint uneasiness slowly settled in her chest.
Then finally, footsteps echoed from upstairs.Rafael appeared moments later, calm and composed on the surface exactly like always. His black shirt sleeves were rolled slightly now, his expression unreadable as he walked back into the living room.
But Aria noticed it instantly.
The tension in his eyes.The faint exhaustion hidden beneath his calmness.Rafael's gaze softened slightly the second he saw her.
