Morning light spilled through the tall windows of the Devereux penthouse, soft and golden, but Aria felt no warmth in it. The air was heavy like the stillness before a storm.

Ethan sat across the dining table, reading the financial section as if the world outside didn’t exist. The rhythmic sound of his spoon against his coffee cup filled the silence.

You were out yesterday, he said at last, his tone casual. You didn’t tell me. Aria froze. I went to the foundation. There were reports to ...