The sun was already setting, painting the sky in shades of orange and gold.
Maria Land was finished—the stalls were being dismantled, the crowds had dispersed, and the young artists had packed up their paintings with promises to treasure Cassius's critiques forever.
Now, the two of them walked side by side through the town streets on their way back to the mansion.
The air was cool and quiet, the distant sounds of the festival fading behind them.
Yet the atmosphere between them was strangely awkward.
Cassius felt it the most. After the emotional moment at the painting, he had been certain their relationship would feel much closer.
She had shared an incredibly vulnerable part of her life with him, something deeply personal and painful. He had thought for sure he would earn some major brownie points in her heart after that.
But to his surprise, that hadn't happened at all.
After she had finally pulled back from the hug, wiping her tears, Maria had become...distant.
