His golden eyes flicked to the ledger in his lap, then up to Heena's profile—tilted toward Ashton, her fingers absently tracing the edge of her goblet as she listened to some story from seven years ago. For all her political games, she had never once called 'him' "honey" in public. Never leaned that close during a feast. His calculations suddenly seemed small, his numbers irrelevant next to a pendant and a well-timed kill. He adjusted his glasses, hiding the way his free hand clenched beneath the table.
