From childhood until my mother died, he was always there in the background. When he stepped into the light, he aligned himself with me. We built our empire together.
Yet now, we were drifting apart.
His silences stretched longer.
The changes didn’t sit well with me. Against his approval, I ordered the helicopter to take me back to London.
I had business to attend to—and I needed time away from her.
The staff came with me and the phone line disconnected.
Let her stay there alone.
???
I opened the door and dropped my keys into the wooden bowl. The hollow clatter grated on my nerves. I’d thought coming home would be a relief. It was the opposite.
The cook had dinner on—filet mignon. The smell did nothing for me.
I went upstairs and into the dressing room.
Nothing smelled right.
Not the colognes I’d worn for years. Not my bedroom.
Humans stank, as always.
I folded my tie with care and hung up my jacket before stripping off my shirt. Then I rolled it up and tossed it into the basket.
I would not be controlled by anyone.
???
I sat at the dining table alone.
Fine wine. Perfectly cooked meat. Silence.
The clock ticked.
I cut into the steak and forced myself to chew. The food tasted right. Everything else didn’t.
The chair across from me was empty.
It always was.
I frowned at it anyway.
I drank, swallowed, and checked my watch. The house felt too quiet. Not peaceful—hollow. Like something had been removed without my consent.
I ate the rest quickly and stood, irritation coiling tight in my chest.
This place wasn’t supposed to feel like this. It was my sanctuary, yet somehow she had polluted it.
We need to go back, Fenrir murmured.Soon.
Why?I demanded.
But he’d clamped up again, refusing to answer me.
