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He looked almost caught out by his own admission. “I wasn’t sure you would. I bought them anyway.”

I opened the shopping bags. Inside were clothes chosen with more care than he would ever admit to, soft and comfortable, the kinds of things I would have reached for myself on a casual day. He hadn’t chosen what he wanted to see me in. He had guessed what I would choose. Something in my chest pulled tight.

“You didn’t have to.”

“I know.” He paused. “Wear your own if you’d rather. I only wanted you to have a choice.”

“Thank you, Alexander. This is so thoughtful.” I raised an eyebrow. “You’ve even selected a few pairs of pajamas. What are you planning?”

He laughed. “I suppose my intention is clear. I want you to be comfortable, and I want you to stay.”

Warmth crept to my cheeks.

“There’s somewhere I’d like to show you today,” he said as he took a sip of coffee.

“That’s becoming one of my favorite sentences.”

“I was hoping it might.”

I glanced toward the shopping bags. “I suppose I should get ready.”

Alexander stood and gathered the bags before I could reach them. “Come with me.”

I followed him to the bedroom. He set the bags on the bed and showed me where he’d put a few toiletries he thought I might need. Alexander had prepared for my staying over with considerably more optimism than he’d admitted.

This man, the one whose name had been the only word on my lips last night, had become important to me with startling ease. Some things took time. Loving him, apparently, had not.

I took a shower, got ready, and looked through the clothes he had purchased. He had thought of everything, including undergarments. I settled on light denim jeans, a beige cashmere sweater, and matching flats. I made my way back into the living room. I found Alexander across the room, dressed and ready to go, on the phone. His call quickly ended and he walked over to me.

“You look beautiful. Are the clothes to your liking?”

“Yes, they’re perfect. Thank you.”

“That was Marcus on the phone. I didn’t want to start our day together with security updates, but here we are.”

I nodded, feeling uneasy.

“Marcus finished checking the Otello event records. The woman you described wasn’t on the invitation or guest list. We don’t know how she got into the event or who she was with.”

“Oh.” I reached for Sofia’s necklace. “Charlotte told me it was invitation only.”

I thought I saw worry cross his face. “Marcus is continuing to investigate.”

“Thank you, Alexander, for telling me. I can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong. But I trust Marcus. And I trust you.”

Without a word, Alexander pulled me in for a hug. I could hear his heartbeat through his sweater.

“I’ll keep you safe.”

And with that, I let the unease melt away, if only for a few hours.

* * *

The staircase was unlike any I had seen before.

It waited behind a narrow corridor off the library, behind an unmarked oak door I would have passed a hundred times without noticing. There was nothing secretive about it. It simply existed, never needing to announce itself because almost no one had a reason to enter.

Alexander opened the door. Cool, still air met us as we stepped inside.