Cristine had been sitting in the library, skimming through a novel but finding it hard to focus. Her mind drifted back to the previous night’s events, where Andrei’s tenderness had surprised her. That unexpected closeness had left her with a mixture of excitement and uncertainty. She still felt the faint remnants of his touch and could hear the calm, soothing tone of his voice, though she knew she shouldn’t let herself linger on it.
Tonight, however, as she joined him in the dining room, Andrei seemed back to his usual reserved self, the warmth from last night tucked away behind his composed exterior. He acknowledged her with a small nod, his gaze unreadable. Even so, Cristine could sense a subtle shift in the air—a reminder of the fragile balance they both were trying to maintain.
Crist
