Chloe's chest heaved as she stared at him. "Lucius, what are you even doing here?" Her voice cracked, raw with the edge of what Alexa had just left behind.

He tilted his head, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. "Calm down, princess. I asked what's wrong, not whether you want to bite my head off." His tone was light, but his eyes... were sharper, watching her too closely.

She huffed, turning away toward the railing. "It's nothing. Just….. nothing you need to care about."

Lucius stepped ...