The door closed behind him with a muted click, and Victor did not look back. If he did, he knew he'd undo his own schedule just to stay, just to see how long Elias's sharp tongue could hold out against the bond pulling at them both.
Discipline, however, had been carved into his bones long before gods ever bled into him. He crossed the marble hall with leisurely steps, the black silk knot at his throat still holding the warmth of Elias's hands. By the time the driver opened the car door, Victor's expression was already shifting, affection cooling into command, and domestic warmth dissolving into a silence that weighed like steel.
Ashwin was waiting inside, pale fingers resting on a neat folder, his monotone already humming as the car pulled away from the gates. "Overnight activity reports from NumenCorp divisions one through five. Discrepancies noted in sector three's acquisition records. Dissident chatter remains elevated, cross-referenced with known Theobald sympathizers."
