Maya's POV
Valentian sunlight poured through the gauze curtains when consciousness finally returned to me. My hand reached across the mattress instinctively, only to meet empty space where Sebastian should have been. The sheets held no trace of warmth.
A crisp white paper rested against the lamp base, folded with military precision. Sebastian's controlled handwriting filled the page in dark ink.
'Archivevault business requires my attention this morning. Back by lunch. Martha can assist with anything you need. The grounds are yours to discover.'
I pressed my lips together, emotions warring between gratitude for space and the sting of abandonment. Last night's charged moments in the vineyard, followed by our stilted kitchen encounter, had left my nerves frayed. Perhaps distance was exactly what we both needed.
