Chapter 3
"If this is your idea of romance, Mr. Sterling, your previous relationships must have resembled a tactical hostage negotiation," Clara remarked without flinching.
Julian’s lips twitched upward into a microscopic smile that didn't reach his cold, calculating eyes, signaling that her sharp tongue had registered positively.
"Survival in my world requires an iron stomach and an absolute mastery over chaotic variables, Miss Vance," Julian replied, his voice dropping an octave.
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Sophie quietly bypassed the bickering children, kneeling down beside a weeping toddler who sat stranded in a drift of flour near the pantry door.
Her movements were slow, deliberate, and entirely devoid of panic, demonstrating a profound emotional intelligence that caught Julian off guard.
