I recognized my loss of control. It happened every time with Noelle. In that game, she'd simply spotted the cheat with her keen eye and warned me—there was nothing wrong with that.
I replayed the evening in detail. Her gaze had stayed fixed on me, tracking every subtle shift in my expression. Only when I furrowed my brow did she turn to the table, then immediately signaled me.
She was looking out for me. That inner light wasn't performative; it was innate, radiant no matter how I tried to dim it.
Then Isabella's line resurfaced—"If I had half your smarts, all the guys here would be falling over me!" That had ignited my explosion. She delivered it with innocent flair, but if it wasn't deliberate, why had it provoked me so intensely?
Connecting it to my prior doubts about Isabella, my eyes narrowed. Tonight's true danger might not have been at the card table at all.
This so-called "savior" was far from straightforward.
"Noelle, I didn't mean..." I wanted to apologize for my heated outburst. But my pride sealed my lips.
"Fine, fine, I get it. Kholod, can we head back? I'm freezing." Noelle rolled her eyes.
"Right away." I lifted her carefully, carrying her to the car without a thought for my own state.
I bundled her in a blanket, activated the seat warmer, and secured her belt. Seeing her relaxed and content against the cushion eased me. I straightened myself, stowed the shredded dress, then settled into the driver's seat and steered us toward the manor.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Noelle
"Noelle, are you free today? There's this amazing antique shop on South Street that just got in a collection of Victorian picture frames. You'd absolutely love them!"
Zoe's energetic voice bubbled through my phone. I sat on the edge of my bed, gazing out at the manor's gardens, hesitating.
A week had passed since that poker game. Kholod had been... different. Still unpredictable as ever, but that suffocating need to control everything seemed to have eased up. Yesterday, he'd even asked if I wanted to join the family hiking trip. If it hadn't been for my period, I might've actually said yes.
"I'm not sure," I said quietly. "I'd need to ask—"
"Ask Kholod?" Zoe's voice carried a note of concern. "Noelle, you can always be honest with me. If something's wrong..."
"Nothing's wrong." I cut her off. "It's just... protocol."
After hanging up, I stood there for a moment. This would be my second outing this week. Would Kholod even agree?
Finally, I worked up the courage to go downstairs and find him. He was in his study with Dmitri, discussing business. When he saw me, he gestured for Dmitri to leave.
"What is it?" He looked up, those amber eyes settling on me.
"Zoe asked me to go shopping today. If you don't want me to—"
"Go." He cut me off, his tone flat but decisive. "Dmitri will arrange a car and security. Be back by six for dinner."
I stared at him, certain I'd misheard.
"You're saying yes?"
"Stay safe." He was already looking back at his papers.
South Street wasone of Philadelphia's most artistic neighborhoods. Narrow streets lined with every kind of shop imaginable—tattoo parlors, vintage stores, independent bookshops, coffee shops... The air was thick with the aroma of coffee and the sound of street music.
Zoe was already waiting by the antique shop, wearing ripped jeans and a T-shirt with some abstract design, her hair thrown up in a messy ponytail. Her smile was as bright as sunshine.
"You made it!" She rushed over and enveloped me in a huge hug. "God, I was starting to think you'd be trapped in that big manor forever."
"I was starting to think that too."
