Ariana's eyes darted to his lips briefly before she quickly shifted her gaze. Zavren's lips curled up as he spoke quietly,
"See? You want it don't deny those desires…"
He was interrupted by a soft knock on the door—almost a hesitant one. Zavren's eyes flicked toward the sound briefly.
He was rarely interrupted except in emergencies.
Ariana felt the atmosphere shift, darkening for a moment before easing again. She sighed inwardly in relief, unsure what might have happened had that knock not come when it did. And yet, curiosity gnawed at her. It was late—who would be knocking at this hour?
And why?
Zavren seemed to understand immediately. His intimidating aura diminished slightly. Ariana's hands fell to her chest as she began to breathe steadily again, her heartbeat slowly returning to normal.
With his usual graceful poise, Zavren strode toward the door. When he opened it, one of his men stood there. His face had paled slightly, panic clearly written across it.
