On our anniversary, my boyfriend, Cyrus, the heir to the most powerful crime family in the Braveclaws Territory, cancelled our dinner for his childhood companion. For Lilith.

I found out from a society-page post Lilith herself had planted, crafted with surgical precision to showcase their closeness. The photo showed Cyrus beside her at a lavish poolside gathering at one of the Dicellore family's private villas in the hills. He was smiling. A rare, unguarded, genuine smile I had never once seen him wear for me. Because they were both born into the highest echelons of the Braveclaws underworld, the post spread like wildfire across every gossip feed and social page in the territory. The comments section was a chorus of adoration, begging Cyrus and Lilith to make it official, to cast aside the nobody girlfriend who had no business standing beside a Tangieri heir.

[Thank you, Mr. Young Don, for always making me your number one :)]

Their admirers fawned over their chemistry. Even at the Sogno Publishing offices, I could not escape it. In the restroom on the second floor, I overheard two colleagues whispering by the sinks, their voices carrying off the tile walls:

"Did you see Lilith Dicellore's post yesterday?"

"Yes! Her posts are getting bolder every day! She was practically draped over Cyrus Tangieri." One of them let out a breathless squeal. "I mean, God."

"I know, right? They're perfect together! I can't believe they're not official yet!"

The bitter taste of betrayal flooded my mouth. I pushed through the restroom door and walked fast, heels clicking against the corridor floor, the echo of their laughter trailing behind me like something with teeth.

The memory of our missed anniversary dinner was a knife turning slowly between my ribs, dragging me deeper into a sadness I did not know how to surface from.

Cyrus: [Rhea, something just came up. I'm going to be home late. No need to wait for me.]

I gripped my phone until the edges bit into my palm. The timestamp read 3:15 PM. Hours ago.

[Alright, safe trip.] I typed the reply, closed the screen, and let out a long, hollow sigh.

I had just arrived at the villa after a grueling day of chasing deadlines at the press. When I finally collapsed onto the bed, the silk sheets cool against my skin, I remembered I had not touched my phone once since the moment I had walked through the doors of Sogno Publishing that morning.

I should not have placed so much hope in Cyrus's promise from the night before.

I had been looking forward to tonight's dinner. It was supposed to be our quiet anniversary celebration, just the two of us at the little restaurant on Via Fontana where we had shared our first meal together. But I supposed he had forgotten about it. Again.

Cyrus had been my boyfriend for five years. We started seeing each other in the latter half of our second year at the academy, but we kept it hidden until after graduation. When the truth finally surfaced, it sent shockwaves through the entire school and, more significantly, through the whole of the Braveclaws Territory.

Why did our relationship cause such an uproar?

Because Cyrus was not just anyone. He was the sole heir and underboss of the Tangieri Crime Family, the ruling bloodline of Braveclaws, the dynasty that controlled the waterfront, the financial district, and the old quarter with an iron grip passed down through generations.

Yes. Cyrus Tangieri was the Young Don. The heir apparent to the most feared name on the Eastern Seaboard.

And who was his girlfriend? Me. Adriana Clerici. A woman from a modest, respectable Italian-American family with no blood debts, no family allegiances, no seat at any table that mattered. An outsider in every sense of the word.

Before I started seeing Cyrus publicly, I had never set foot in the world of the elite, let alone the circles where power was measured in territory, tribute, and the silence of dead men.

Cyrus had two people who were always at his side. The first was Patrizio Finetti, an heir he had known since childhood, born into the legendary Finetti Family. The Goldsmiths, people called them. Their luxury empire, famous across the continent for exquisite jewelry and bespoke craftsmanship, was one of the most sophisticated money-laundering fronts in the syndicate's network. The second was Lilith Dicellore, the only daughter of the ancient and immensely powerful Dicellore Family, whose vast shipping and import empire served as the financial backbone of the Braveclaws Territory's underworld. Ports. Smuggling routes. International laundering operations. The Dicellores touched all of it.

Though Lilith had met Patrizio and Cyrus a bit later than they had found each other, the three of them had been inseparable since childhood, raised within the same Family circle, bound by alliances forged in blood long before any of them could understand what blood meant.

Given their backgrounds, the general expectation among the society pages and gossip columns was that if Cyrus ever took a woman publicly, it would be Lilith. They were the ultimate power match, shipped by admirers and hyped by every planted rumor in every tabloid from here to the coast.

So when Cyrus made it known that he was not with Lilith but with me, my life changed overnight. My messages flooded. Some people simply wanted to know who I was, this nobody who had caught a Tangieri's eye. But many of them sent threats. Ugly, specific, venomous threats.

Fortunately, Cyrus, Patrizio, and Lilith publicly showed their support for me at the time. Patrizio and Lilith, in particular, frequently voiced their approval of my relationship with Cyrus. The four of us often appeared together, sharing photos from dinners and gatherings on social media to project a united front, a picture of easy friendship and acceptance.

But the venom never vanished entirely.

Especially when Lilith posted a picture of her and Cyrus together without me in the frame.

Like her most recent post, uploaded barely two minutes ago from her public account, @Lilith_Dicellore:

[What a night! It was all so last minute, but we made it happen! Huge thanks to these wonderful people who came through for me, especially you, Cyrus @Cyrus_Tangieri!

Patrizio @Not_Patrizio_Stars! I've called you a dozen times but you didn't even bother picking up. Next time, you're not getting out of it!

And Adriana @Rhea_and_rea, you're the best for lending Cyrus to me for the evening! I owe you one, big time! Good luck finishing your project. I know you'll crush it!]

Beneath the text were photographs of a night sky, taken from a pool villa perched high on a hill somewhere above the city. The remnants of a small barbecue spread were visible in the background, silver platters catching the glow of string lights.

In the same thread, there was another post with a caption written in a foreign language I could not fully understand. The only phrase that stood out to me resembled "business partnership."

Underneath that caption was a video capturing the lively atmosphere of the gathering. In the clip, Cyrus was laughing beside Lilith as they conversed with what appeared to be foreign associates.

I sat frozen after watching the video.

I had never seen Cyrus laugh like that before. In fact, I had never imagined he even could.

Cyrus had always carried himself with ice-cold composure. A lethal stillness. Even when he traded barbs with Patrizio, the most expression he would show was a sharp glare, a raised eyebrow, maybe an annoyed jab to Patrizio's shoulder accompanied by the faintest ghost of a smile on his lips.

But never a real laugh. Never warmth like that.

My eyes eventually drifted to the comment sections:

[@CyrilithForever:

"Lilith and Cyrus look so good together! I swear they're soulmates. Why aren't they dating already?!"]

[@DramaAlert:

"Did anyone else notice how Cyrus laughs with Lilith? He never looks like that with Adriana… just saying."]

[@PowerCoupleWatcher:

"I always thought it would be Lilith and Cyrus in the end… That laugh! He seems so happy with her."]

[@ShippingQueen:

"Adriana is so lucky that Lilith is so cool about this! But honestly, it's hard not to ship."]

Tears stung my eyes. Within seconds, I was sobbing on the edge of the bed, my fingers still curled around the phone, the screen's blue light blurring through the salt water. Checking the feeds that night had been a terrible mistake. My heart felt utterly shattered, cracked along fault lines that had been forming for months.

This was not the first time Cyrus had attended an event at Lilith's request. I should have seen this coming. I should never have allowed myself to fall for him in the first place.

I drew a deep breath, pressing the heel of my hand against my sternum as though I could hold the pieces of myself together by force. One last attempt to calm the trembling.

Then I picked up my phone and called Cyrus.

He answered after the first ring. "What is it, Rhea?" The voice was low, measured, and utterly devoid of warmth. That cold, monotone cadence I knew so well.

In the background, I could hear the sounds of lively conversation, glasses clinking, and then the sharp crack and hiss of fireworks splitting the sky.

"Where are you?" I asked, fighting to keep the tremor out of my voice.

"I'm at a business meeting. What's the matter?" He seemed to have moved away from the noise. His footsteps were quiet against stone, but another burst of fireworks echoed in the distance, muffled now, as though he had stepped inside. "Rhea, are you crying?" he asked. His voice did not change. Still calm. Still flat.

The fact that he was not even trying to construct a lie, combined with that detached tone, made it impossible to understand what was happening inside his mind. Was I nothing? Was this indifference, or something worse?

I could not help but start to believe what Patrizio had warned me about. Was this really Cyrus's way of playing with my feelings?

I could not take it anymore.

I drew one more breath, slow and deliberate, steeling myself to say the words that had been lurking in the darkest corner of my mind for months.

"Cyrus, let's break up."

A faint crackle of fireworks bled through Cyrus's end of the line, muffled and distant, lasting only a few seconds before a long sigh followed.

"Adriana, not this again." His voice carried the quiet exasperation of a man accustomed to giving orders, not explanations.

Not this again? He was the one who had broken a promise, and somehow I was the one in the wrong for feeling disappointed?

Indignation flared hot beneath my ribs. "I know exactly where you are and what you're doing right now, Mr. Young Don! The society pages exist, you know! Maybe tell Lilith not to let photographers catch the two of you looking so cozy if you don't want anybody finding out!"

I ended the call and switched my phone to silent.

Standing, I crossed the room to the closet where I had stashed my suitcase. As I pulled the door open, my gaze snagged on the red gift bag tucked in the corner behind it. I had bought it last week. A deep navy-blue custom dive bag, the exact shade of the ocean at dawn, Cyrus's favorite time to dive.

I looked away from the gift bag and dragged out the suitcase, packing my clothes and belongings with quick, deliberate hands. I was determined to leave this villa tonight. After all, it belonged to Cyrus. Every marble tile, every silk curtain, every lock on every door answered to the Tangieri name. If this was truly over, then I would be the one to disappear from his life, since I was the one who had initiated the break.

It took me two hours to finish packing. I called a taxi, loaded my things into the trunk, and directed the driver toward a smaller, more affordable apartment in the suburbs where I had lived a few years ago.

It had been two years since I last set foot in this apartment. My parents had given it to me shortly after I landed a position as a writer at Sogno Publishing. In the beginning, I had chosen to stay here deliberately, unwilling to burden Cyrus with the responsibility of looking after my needs in the city. I wanted to prove I could stand on my own, separate from his world, separate from the long shadow the Tangieri name cast over everything it touched.

To cut a long story short, Cyrus decided it would be easier for me to live with him. He had a driver and a detail at his disposal that could take me anywhere, and we could see each other more often if I stayed under his roof.

Cyrus was insistent on the arrangement. Without a strong argument against it, I went along with his wishes and had been living with him ever since.

A small pang of regret pierced through me now, a sharp reminder of the distance that had crept into our lives despite sharing the same walls.

It felt tragic, because I had only truly noticed how frequently Cyrus was with Lilith after I started living with him. It made me question everything. What had been the point of us living together at all?

I stumbled into the apartment with exhaustion pressing down on my shoulders like a physical weight. With barely a thought, I abandoned all my things in the living room. I shuffled to the bedroom, pulled the plastic cover off the mattress, retrieved a clean sheet from the linen box in the closet, and collapsed into sleep.

Cyrus and I. The two of us had been physically close, yet our hearts seemed to drift further apart with each passing day. How had things turned out like this?

When the alarm jolted me awake the next morning, I reached for my phone out of habit.

Cyrus had left messages:

[Rhea, don't be jealous. I saw the gossip column, and as Lily's post shows, it was a last-minute sit-down. Lily asked for my help to close a deal with an overseas contact.]

[Stop being childish. We're adults now. Come home when you've calmed down.]

So now I was childish?

Cyrus's messages had successfully soured my mood, first thing in the morning.

I tossed the phone onto the bed and ignored it as I shuffled into the combined living room and kitchen. Grabbing a bottled drink I had left out from the night before, I tried to shake off the frustration his words had stirred up.

The word childish kept echoing in my mind, igniting small bursts of anger that flared and refused to die.

Was I really that childish?

I had lost count of the times Cyrus canceled our plans, postponed his own Family meetings, or rescheduled dinners with his father and the caporegimes just because Lilith called him for one of her so-called rescues.

I could never forget that particular night. Lilith had demanded Cyrus accompany her to one of the Dicellore family's private estates. I had been close enough to hear her voice bleeding through the phone speaker as she begged him to come because she was still terrified after watching a horror film.

For the love of God.

Who in their right mind watches something that scares them so badly? Besides, Lilith was never truly alone at that estate. Her household staff, her personal security, her father's soldiers were always there, around the clock, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, ensuring her safety and comfort.

Nevertheless, Cyrus changed out of his pajamas and into street clothes. "Lily needs me," he said, "so I have to go for a bit."

I was appalled by his decision and tried to argue with him.

But he pressed two fingers against the crease forming between his brows and rubbed the tension at his temple. "There's nothing between us, Adriana." He let out a long sigh, deliberately avoiding the name Rhea, the intimate name only he used for me. Three telltale signs of his growing irritation, stacked one on top of the other like rounds being chambered.

Then Cyrus fixed his gaze directly on mine and added, "But if your mind is already made up, is there any point in my trying to convince you otherwise?"

With that, he walked out of the villa. He took his own car keys and drove to wherever Lilith was on his own, dismissing his driver's offer. Every single time.

The day after our arguments, Cyrus would always find a way to sweep me off my feet with a surprise. A candlelit dinner at a restaurant that required reservations months in advance. A rooftop overlooking the harbor, cleared of every soul but us. I could always see the effort he poured into each makeup gesture, and, inevitably, I would always forgive him.

We would reconcile, our relationship seemingly saved. Then the cycle would begin again. Over and over. It reached the point where it was hard for me to recall a single date between us that had not been triggered by something involving Lilith, especially after Cyrus and I became publicly acknowledged.

Did he think I was too blind to recognize the same pattern repeating itself?

Yes, I was easy to please. I admitted that freely. But it was because I never saw the point in constantly warring with someone I loved so deeply.

Not this time, though. I finally saw the reason why I needed to stop.

Cyrus had feelings for Lilith, and it was time I accepted that.

That was why I had to stop falling for him. Once and for all.

The rich blend of cedarwood and the crisp sharpness of pine filled the lobby like a territorial claim staked in cologne.

It was unmistakable. Almost suffocating in its boldness. Cyrus Tangieri was waiting for me on the ground floor of the Sogno Publishing building, his signature scent announcing his presence long before I rounded the stairwell and caught sight of him through the glass. Another one of his "makeup" appearances, no doubt. Another performance of a man who refused to accept that the curtain had already fallen.

I wrinkled my nose. The heir to the most powerful crime family on the Eastern Seaboard, and he stood there broadcasting himself like a billboard in the middle of a civilian workspace. Did the man have no sense of discretion?

I glanced around, surprised by the absence of the usual spectacle that trailed Cyrus wherever he went. No breathless admirers pressing against the doors, no society-page photographers lurking on the sidewalk. Only a handful of my colleagues lingered near the copy room, nervously peeking around the doorframe with the wide-eyed reverence of people who understood exactly what kind of man was standing in their lobby. I wondered if he had stationed soldiers at the building's perimeter, quietly turning away anyone who might cause a scene. The thought settled in my mind as I descended the remaining flights of stairs, each step measured, deliberate, until I stopped just short of him.

I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Cyrus frowned, a barely perceptible tightening at the corners of his mouth. Then he turned and walked to the passenger side of his black sedan, opening the door with the practiced ease of a chauffeur.

If it weren't for the impeccably tailored charcoal suit and the jet-black hair interrupted by that single streak of gold, the hereditary Tangieri mark that every firstborn carried like a brand, he could have passed for one.

"Patrizio invited us to dinner tonight," he began, his voice cool and unhurried. "He's celebrating a successful expedition. Something about a rare cache of liquid silver he tracked down overseas."

I placed a hand on my hip, cutting him off. "And?"

A deeper crease formed between his eyebrows. "Get in."

I crossed my arms tighter, not missing a beat. "I never said I wanted to go with you, did I?"

"Adriana." His voice dropped, low and edged, the way a man spoke when he was accustomed to being obeyed.

I didn't care. I turned on my heel and started walking toward my apartment, leaving him standing by the open car door with his hand still resting on the frame.

There was a time when I would have rushed to him, told him to get back inside the car, worried that someone might recognize him. Cyrus, with his tall, athletic frame and those devastating features, was the living embodiment of everything the Braveclaws Territory idolized: power, lineage, danger wrapped in beauty. Back then, I would have done anything to shield him from prying eyes, to keep him safe from the attention that followed him like a second shadow.

But now? Now I no longer cared. Let the world have its fill of him. I wasn't his woman anymore, and I had no obligation to protect what wasn't mine.

Beep!

"Adriana!"

I glanced over my shoulder. Cyrus had pulled the sedan alongside the curb and was creeping forward, matching my pace step for step, the engine purring low like a predator stalking its prey.

I turned my head back and kept walking, refusing to be swayed. "Stop following me, Cyrus. We're done."

Beep!

"Cyrus!" I spun around, frustration flaring through my chest.

The car lurched to a stop with a sharp screech of brakes that made me flinch, my hands flying instinctively to cover my ears. The sound cut through me, setting every nerve on edge. When I finally lowered my hands, I saw that Cyrus was still in the driver's seat, leaning across the center console to push the passenger door open from the inside.

Just as I was about to snap at him, a voice rang out from somewhere down the block.

"Hey! Isn't that the Tangieri car?!"

My heart plummeted. The recognition in that voice, the rising pitch of excitement and awe. Oh no. I was absolutely not prepared to be surrounded by Cyrus Tangieri's admirers right now. The last thing I needed was my face plastered across the society pages next to his, feeding gossip columns with speculation about a reconciliation that didn't exist.

"Drive!" I threw myself into the passenger seat, slamming the door shut and hitting the lock. My eyes widened as I watched a cluster of figures materialize from storefronts and side streets, converging on the sedan with alarming speed.

Where did they even come from?

"You really want to come with me now?" Cyrus asked. Amusement threaded through his voice like silk through a needle.

I bared my teeth at him, every survival instinct in my body screaming to get away from the gathering crowd. "Just drive!"

A low chuckle escaped him, barely audible. He shifted the car into gear, and we eased through the growing knot of onlookers, accelerating smoothly until the figures shrank in the rearview mirror and disappeared.

It was then that the scent hit me.

Vanilla. Thick, expensive, and almost cloying in its sweetness, it saturated the leather interior like perfume sprayed directly onto the seats.

My eyes swept the dashboard, searching for a bottle, an air freshener, anything that might explain it. But as I inhaled again, the realization settled over me like a cold hand on the back of my neck. This wasn't manufactured. This was Lilith Dicellore's signature perfume, lingering in the cabin the way a woman's presence lingers in a room she's claimed.

I couldn't help but wonder what exactly she had done in this car for her scent to be so strong, so pervasive. How long she had sat here. How close.

Suppressing a scoff, I shot a sideways glare at Cyrus. "Well, well. I never knew you were so fond of vanilla."

"Hm." Cyrus gave a noncommittal grunt, his fingers making a subtle adjustment on the steering wheel.

What was that supposed to mean? The ambiguity gnawed at me, the unanswered question hanging in the enclosed space alongside Lilith's lingering perfume.

After that, silence settled between us like a wall. Cyrus drove me first to his preferred tailor on the old quarter's main avenue, a discreet establishment with no signage and a doorman who recognized the Tangieri sedan on sight. I changed into a navy-blue dress that had been selected with an unsettling precision for my measurements, and then we headed to La Rotta d'Oro, a high-end restaurant tucked behind an unassuming facade on the waterfront, for Patrizio's private celebration.

We were led up a narrow staircase to a reserved room on the second floor. The walls were paneled in dark wood, the lighting low and amber, the kind of room where deals were made and secrets were buried over expensive wine. As the staff opened the door, I noticed Patrizio and Lilith already seated inside. Lilith's expression flickered with surprise for the briefest moment when she saw me, a crack in her porcelain composure that she sealed almost instantly.

"Hey, you two!" Patrizio beamed, waving enthusiastically from his seat with a glass of prosecco already in hand.

Lilith withdrew her hands from the white tablecloth and crossed them over her chest, settling back in her chair with studied ease. "Hello, Adriana. Cyrus. What took you so long? Traffic?"

I gave a simple shrug, offering her a polite smile that didn't reach my eyes before turning to Patrizio.

"It was a last-minute invite, Rick. Sorry I didn't bring a gift, but congratulations on the successful expedition."

Patrizio Finetti was an eccentric of the highest order, a man whose vibrant personality could fill a cathedral. In the world of luxury goods and high-end jewelry, the Finetti name was synonymous with genius. Their goldsmith empire, the most renowned on the Eastern Seaboard, served as one of the most sophisticated fronts in the territory's financial architecture. Last year, Patrizio had embarked on an unexpected overseas expedition with a handpicked team and a budget that raised eyebrows even among people accustomed to extravagant spending, leaving most of the Family's associates puzzled by his abrupt departure.

However, Patrizio was nothing if not relentless. He simply ignored the whispered speculation in the society pages, the gossip that the young genius had finally pushed his eccentricity too far, that the Finetti heir had traded brilliance for madness.

I had become acquainted with him through Cyrus, who often brought me along to his regular gatherings with his closest circle: Patrizio and Lilith. The three of them had been raised together, inseparable since childhood, bound by the informal alliance between their families. It was through those dinners and late-night conversations that I had come to know Lilith as well.

"Don't worry about it. Rick unearthed a treasure worth millions. Literally. He's got more than enough gifts coming his way," Cyrus remarked as he guided me toward the table, his hand hovering near the small of my back without quite touching it.

"Hey," Patrizio retorted, feigning offense and pressing a hand to his chest. "I'd appreciate any gift from a good friend, especially a beautiful woman like Adriana here. Unlike some picky heir to the throne!"

Lies. My gaze snapped back to Patrizio, narrowing slightly.

I had never once seen him use or even acknowledge any of the gifts I had given him. Not a single one. Not like that gold-framed pair of sunglasses from Lilith that he carried everywhere, tucked into his breast pocket even when he didn't wear them, like a talisman. Or that ridiculous sunflower pin Cyrus had given him as a joke, which Patrizio brought up constantly at dinners for laughs, turning it over in his fingers with genuine affection.

It was only then that the truth crystallized fully, sharp and cold as a blade laid flat against skin. Lilith was the same. She and Patrizio never used my gifts, except for the occasional appearance on the society pages. A photograph here, a mention there, enough to maintain the illusion of warmth.

A sinking realization settled in my gut like a stone dropped into dark water. Maybe my suspicions weren't so far-fetched after all. Perhaps they had never truly accepted me. They had merely tolerated my presence to save face for Cyrus, to avoid embarrassing the Tangieri heir by openly rejecting the woman he had chosen.

They had never approved of our relationship. Their coldness toward me had always been there, just beneath the surface, hidden behind polite smiles and rehearsed pleasantries.

"I'm not picky!" Cyrus's voice rose slightly in defense as he paused mid-step. "I just don't see the point in using certain things. That's why—"

And there it was. The start of Cyrus and Patrizio's usual banter, the easy back-and-forth of men who had known each other since before they understood what their last names meant. Normally, I would have found their sparring amusing, even endearing. But tonight, I had no desire to linger. My eyes scanned the room for a seat.

The two remaining chairs sat opposite one another, one beside Patrizio and one beside Lilith.

"Since we're late, let's not keep Rick and Lily waiting any longer," I said, settling into my chair with a finality that closed the conversation. I wanted this evening over with.

A heavy silence descended over the table. I didn't bother to glance at Cyrus to gauge his reaction.

"Alrighty! Let's eat!" Patrizio's exuberant voice cut through the quiet like a match struck in a dark room. He waved over the waiter with a flourish.

Soon the table was laden with dishes, and conversation began to flow around me like a current I chose not to swim in. I made occasional comments but otherwise remained quiet, content to sip my drink and work through the food on my plate.

As the evening progressed, I watched Cyrus peeling prawns with meticulous care, his long fingers working with a surgeon's precision as he stripped each shell and placed the cleaned meat on a plate beside Lilith. I couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, though the sound that echoed in my chest held no warmth. Cyrus had always despised prawns. He had told me more than once that peeling them was too much hassle, that the effort wasn't worth the reward.

Yet here he was, serving them to Lilith without a word of complaint. Without even being asked.

The sight made me frown. The effort he put into catering to her was starkly different from how he had ever treated me. With Lilith, Cyrus moved on instinct, as though caring for her was something encoded in his blood, as natural and unconscious as breathing.

It seemed I wasn't the only one who noticed.

Patrizio suddenly shot a sidelong glance at me, something quick and unreadable flickering behind his eyes, before he nudged Cyrus with a playful shove.

"Look at you, Mr. Young Don! Don't just pile all the prawns on Lilith's plate. Can't you see this plate over here needs some love too?" He gestured with his thumb toward the empty plate beside me.

Cyrus blinked. He went still, momentarily dazed, as if he had just realized what he had been doing.

He paused, looking down at the prawn in his hand with an unreadable expression, before his gaze slowly lifted to meet mine.