Hayden is seated in perfection, effortless, composed, and infuriatingly untouched by the weight of reality. He wears grey suit pants and a cream sweater, the soft fabric draping over him like a second skin, his muscles on display beneath it. A cigarette held between his fingers, the lazy curl of smoke twisting upward, dissipating into the morning air. He takes a slow drag, his expression unreadable, gaze fixed somewhere distant.
Then, he sees me.
His gaze locks on mine, heated, intense, searing through me like a brand. There’s something dark in his eyes, something resolute, and for a second, I forget how to breathe.
Without breaking eye contact, he flicks the cigarette out onto the gravel and opens up his car door, the embers flaring for the briefest moment before dying out beneath the heel of his shoe.
I swallow hard and force my feet forward, the gravel crunching underneath my boots being the only sound between us. No words are exchanged as he gets out of the car and opens my door for me. The perfect gentleman. I slide into the passenger seat, the leather cool beneath my fingers. The door shuts with a precise click, sealing me in.
The drive begins in silence, thick and weighted. The car hums beneath us, gliding effortlessly down the road, its engine a low rumble. The city is still waking, the streets stretching open before us.
I watch the trees blur past, my thoughts tangled in the quiet. There’s too much left unsaid between us, too many unspoken things pressing against my ribs.
Still, I don’t break the silence.
And neither does he.
When we pass Eulogia, the weight in my chest shifts, the Society’s tomb looms in the distance, untouched, unchanged, and just as imposing as ever.
I open my mouth to say something, anything that will convince him to let me return to classes, and instead, I’m met with a hand to my thigh. It squeezes almost too hard, a warning to keep my mouth shut.
We reach the city just before ten. The office building is sleek, made of glass and steel, the kind of place where everything feels calculated. Hayden doesn’t park in front. He pulls into the garage beneath, cutting the engine sharply.
I barely have time to step out before he’s gripping my upper arm and pulling me along with him, his pace brisk and controlled. I have to hurry to keep up.
When we step into the elevator, I glance at him.
“Are you ok?” I ask softly, unable to stop the worry that he’s upset with me.
He doesn’t respond. He only turns to me and tucks a strand of my hair that has fallen forward behind my ear.
He looks so angry with me, but his touch is soft. His gaze meets my mouth, and I lick my lips. I can’t help but think of what happened the last time we were together, and I know he can read it on my face. Before he has a chance to do anything more,the elevator doors slide open, and his hand is back on my arm, pulling me forward.
The lawyer’s office is polished, expensive, and sterile. The receptionist barely has time to greet us before Hayden pushes past, throwing open the door to the lawyer’s office without waiting to be announced.
The lawyer, an older man with graying hair and an air of practiced patience, looks up from his desk. “Mr. Herron, Miss Huntington-Russell,” he greets, measured. “I—”
“You’re going to expedite the transfer of her assets,” Hayden cuts in, taking a seat across from him. “Now.”
Leave it to Hayden to cut right to the chase.
The lawyer blinks, then offers a tight smile. “I’m afraid it’s not that simple. There are legal procedures,”
“Then simplify them,” Hayden says coolly. “Or I’ll find someone who can.”
I open my mouth to interject, but Hayden doesn’t give me the chance. “She is the legal heir. You know that. The only reason this is stalled is because her uncle contested it, and we both know his claim won’t hold.”
The lawyer adjusts his glasses. “The process takes time...”
“She doesn’t have time,” Hayden says sharply. “Secure her assets. Now.”
“Why don’t I have time?” I yelp, but am ignored.
The lawyer exhales, tapping his pen against the desk. “I’ll try to wrap this up quickly.”
Hayden leans forward, his voice lower now, more dangerous. “Don’t make me show you what happens if you can’t.”
A heavy silence stretches between them. The lawyer studies Hayden, his jaw tightening, looking visibly shaken. Then, finally, he nods.
