The morning light filtered through the study’s heavy curtains, casting a soft glow over the mahogany desk where last night’s roleplay had unfolded. The room had returned to its everyday guise—books neatly shelved, the nameplate tucked away, the satchel hidden in the closet—but a faint trace of sandalwood lingered, a quiet reminder of the intensity James and Laura had shared. They sat at the kitchen table now, sipping coffee, their two teenagers still asleep upstairs, the house hushed in ...