"I know why you've turned to Christopher Cross."
The words fell flat in the cold air, quiet but heavy, impossible to ignore.
Serena froze. For a heartbeat, the night itself seemed to still with her. Her fingers stiffened around the marble railing, her pulse thrumming hard against her throat. "What?"
Charlton's voice came lower this time, as though even saying it cost him something. "I know. About Leonard. His case. The court proceedings. You're not chasing Cross for vanity or amusement. You think he can help you."
For a moment, she couldn't breathe. The name, Leonard, hit like a stone dropped in still water. Her stomach twisted; her throat went dry. The quiet between them was thick enough to choke on.
"You… know?"
"I do."
Her heartbeat was wild now, fast and uneven. "How long?"
"For a while."
The breath she drew in was shaky, harsh. "A while," she repeated, almost to herself. She understood what for a while meant. "You knew and said nothing?"
