The moment I stepped into Marquess Fairchild's home, I felt a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature. Something was off about this place—the shadows seemed too deep, the silence too complete for a mansion of this size. Beside me, I could sense Cassian and Roric's heightened awareness as they followed my lead.
"I must say, Your Grace, your visit is quite unexpected but certainly welcome," Lucian said, his smile so perfect it could only be practiced. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
I matched his expression with an equally calculated one of my own. "I realized we haven't properly spoken since you married Lady Clara. After all, we are now brothers by marriage, however... complicated the circumstances."
Lucian's eyebrows rose slightly, that practiced smile never faltering. "Indeed. Family connections should be nurtured, despite past difficulties."
