Daphne’s POV

I waited for the storm.

Xavier’s silence stretched between us, heavy enough to crush the air from my lungs.

His jaw was tight, his eyes unreadable, and I braced myself for the inevitable anger for the sharp words, the cold withdrawal, the punishment I knew too well.

But it never came.

Instead, he took a step back, his voice calm, almost steady in a way that rattled me more than shouting ever could.

“I’m not going to tell you what to do, Daphne.”

The words stunned ...