When Alice left, I felt an immense relief from the jealousy that had gripped me as she watched my brother. However, her scent lingered. It stayed in my office like a challenge I hadn't realized I'd invited. My eyes remained fixed on the door a little longer than they should have been. Alice had left with an aura not of a servant, but of a strategist.

"Wow, Alex," Sebastian's voice interrupted my thoughts, laced with that natural teasing he had perfected since we were children.

He gave a mocking