Chapter 210

Theo’s POV

The hallway outside buzzes with activity, but in here, it’s quiet. Dim and cool. I’ve taken refuge in one of the lesser-used guest suites, the kind we reserve for out-of-town Dominants or special events. The lights are off, save for a single amber lamp glowing on the far table.

The bed beneath me is firm and wide, the kind of surface made for long nights and loud sins. But right now, I’m simply stretched across it, a glass of whiskey resting in one hand, my back propped against a pile of pillows, boots off, shirt unbuttoned, watching light flood through the small gap in the curtains.

I needed a break. From the decisions, from the schedules, from Mason and Nathan bickering over logistics while pretending they aren’t both wound tight from weeks of planning. I needed silence. Stillness. A place to just be.