Scarlett still held her phone, the lingering warmth of her brief conversation with Sean still thrumming in her palm, when a soft knock disturbed the silence of her room. Before she could answer, the door swung open to reveal Julian. He had traded the suffocating precision of his Versailles suit for a casual black t-shirt a look that made him appear jarringly human.
He entered with a measured stride, his eyes flicking briefly toward the device in her hand. He caught himself, suppressing the familiar spike of jealousy; he knew that if he were to win her heart, he first had to master his own demons.
"I've just finished speaking with Grandma and Laura," Julian said, coming to a halt at the foot of her bed. "We're in agreement. Your career is accelerating faster than we anticipated. You can no longer rely on freelance agency assistants."
Scarlett arched an eyebrow. "Meaning?"
