By the time I finished the last bite of my breakfast, the food had cooled, but my thoughts hadn’t. 

The knock came just as I pushed the plate aside. 

A soft knock of three taps, pause, then two more. Ace’s style. 

“Come in,” I said. 

The door opened, and there he was again, fully dressed this time, the faintest grin curving his mouth. He carried a rectangular box wrapped in dark velvet and tied with a black ribbon. It looked expensive, heavy, and secretive. 

“You eat ...