"GOOD MORNING," Mailah said, stepping into the room.
Three heads turned toward her, and the expressions she encountered were varied and telling.
Chen nodded politely, offering a professional "Mrs. Ashford" before returning to his breakfast.
Elin's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of something like recognition and gratitude passing across her features before she dropped her gaze back to her plate.
But it was Grayson's reaction that made Mailah's breath catch.
His blue-gray eyes tracked her movement across the room with an intensity that felt almost physical, and when their gazes met, something sparked between them—memory and promise and the weight of everything they'd admitted in the dark hours of morning.
"You're awake," he said, and his voice carried layers of meaning that had nothing to do with the simple observation.
"I am," Mailah replied, moving to take the seat beside him. "Though I don't remember getting to my bed last night. Care to explain how that happened?"
