No tension. No humiliation. No need to watch the door and wonder whether another woman would call and take him away.
By the time I got home, the rain had softened to a light drizzle. Water still clung to the hedges and ran in thin streams along the front steps.
It was late.
When I stepped inside, Cassian was sitting in the front room with one arm stretched along the back of the sofa, his posture rigid.
He looked up the moment he heard the door.
“Why are you back so late?”
I did not answer.
I set my bag down, slipped off my damp heels, and washed my hands at the sink near the entryway. My shoulders ached. My coat smelled faintly of rain and smoke. All I wanted was a shower and a locked door between us.
But when I turned toward the hallway, Cassian got to his feet and stepped in front of me.
“Elara,” he said, voice hardening. “What exactly is this supposed to mean?”
I lifted my eyes to his.
There had been a time when looking at him was enough to make something soften inside me. Once, a single glance from him could steady my whole day.
Now I felt nothing.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
His expression darkened. “You refused to pick us up, then you come home at this hour. What are you trying to prove?”
Before I could answer, a soft voice drifted in from the guest room.
“Elara... have you been drinking? The smell is making me a little uncomfortable.”
I turned.
Odette stood in the doorway, pale in the lamplight, one hand resting against the frame like she needed it to stay upright.
For a moment, I just looked at her.
I had assumed he’d settled her in one of the family’s other properties after taking her from the clinic.
I had not expected him to bring her here.
Into my house.
That was almost laughable.
I looked back at Cassian.
“Would you like me to go to a hotel tonight?” I asked calmly. “Or would you rather take her to one yourselves?”
“Elara.” His voice rose at once. “How can you even think like that?”
A laugh nearly slipped out this time.
“Don’t shout just because your conscience is dirty,” I said coldly. “Am I the one acting shamefully here?”
Then I turned to Odette.
“You said yesterday you nearly collapsed because I blocked you. Save that performance for someone who still believes it. I blocked him too. And if the smell of wine bothers you, close your door.”
Her eyes reddened instantly.
Tears gathered so quickly it would have been impressive, if it had not been so familiar.