Chapter 23: The Plan (1)
Lucas stepped into the salon just after ten.
The lights were dimmed to a golden glow, and the large windows were open to let the breeze in. It smelled faintly of rosewood and citrus peel—Serathine’s signature blend. She was seated on one of the curved velvet sofas, long legs crossed, a book open in her lap.
She didn’t look up right away.
Which meant she was waiting for him to speak first.
Lucas closed the door behind him with a soft click, then leaned against it, arms folded.
"He didn’t run."
Serathine turned a page, perfectly unbothered. "That’s not the bar I set."
Lucas’s mouth twitched. "Then let’s say he didn’t glare, didn’t lecture, and didn’t try to bite."
Now she looked up—one elegant brow rising. "So... Trevor was Trevor."
Lucas walked toward the fireplace, slower now, the quiet comfort of the room settling around his shoulders like a softer kind of armor.
"He was also very well-informed," he added, glancing at her sidelong.
"Mm." She closed the book with a precise snap. "Let me guess—he told you about the Emperor’s tantrum, the declaration of death, and the fact that I manipulated him into this mess?"