William couldn't sleep.
He had been lying in bed for two hours, staring at the ceiling while his father's words echoed in his mind. 'The competition might solve everyone's problems by removing you from the equation entirely.'
Eventually he gave up trying and sat by the window, watching the darkened estate grounds while processing everything from the dinner.
A soft knock on his door pulled him from his thoughts.
"William? Are you awake?" Seraphine's voice, quiet through the wood.
He opened the door to find his sister still fully dressed despite the late hour, a mischievous smile on her face.
"I couldn't sleep either," she said, slipping into his room before he could respond. "Too excited about tomorrow. But then I thought — why wait for tomorrow when tonight is right here?"
"What are you talking about?"
