CHAPTER 11: FALLING

(Darius's POV)

I quickly shook my head. No, I was definitely overthinking this.

Love couldn't just happen like that. "I guess I'm just overly happy to see her since it's been ages, nothing more," I thought to myself as I headed to my father's study.

The study felt heavier tonight, weighed down by the conversation I knew was coming.

The air seemed thick, each tick of the grandfather clock echoing louder than it should.

The scent of old books mixed with the faint aroma of cedarwood polish—a familiar comfort that usually calmed my nerves.

Tonight, however, my thoughts were anything but calm.

I paced the length of the room, my fingers running over the spines of books I had never cared to read.

I could hear faint murmurs of conversation from the dining room, the sound of Charlotte's voice grating against my nerves.