They returned to the hotel only briefly, to leave the glass sculpture safely inside the suite, and then continued their walk through the city.
By evening, Victor led them toward a rooftop restaurant overlooking the coast. He hadn't asked if Elias wanted to go there. He simply knew this was where they would end the day. The building was tall enough for the ocean to spread out beneath them like a sheet of shifting silver-blue, and the warm lights of the boardwalk glittered across the water like scattered constellations.
A soft breeze moved through the terrace seating. Tables were spaced far apart, giving each party the illusion of privacy, though for Victor, privacy was not an illusion but a guarantee. He had reserved the entire top floor.
Elias raised an eyebrow when he noticed.
"I did not ask you to do that," he said.
Victor poured water for both of them, unbothered. "You don't like crowds. And I don't like being interrupted."
