Rio's POV
For the first time in weeks, I leave the office before sunset. The conversation with Lina about Teodoro's weekend invitation has been replaying in my mind all afternoon, and I've made a decision—tonight, I'm going to try to be the man she deserves, not just the one she's contracted to.
I stop by her favorite Thai restaurant and pick up pad thai with extra vegetables, the way she likes it. Maybe we can have dinner together like a normal couple, talk about the upcoming weekend without the usual tension that surrounds our every interaction.
"Good evening, Young Master," James greets me in the foyer, his expression slightly surprised to see me home before midnight.
"Evening, James. Is Lina home?"
"I'm afraid not, sir. Young Mistress called to inform us she won't be returning home tonight."
The takeout containers feel heavier in my hands. "What do you mean she won't be returning home?"
