Page 139 of Discretion at Its Finest

“I figured…” I muttered, pulling the robe down, exposing her shoulder as I placed a kiss on her skin. “You only come in here dressed like this to distract me when you’re about to ruin my night or make it better. I’m still trying to guess which one it is.”

A breathy laugh escaped her, soft fingers brushing along my jaw, tracing the stubble and the grey threaded through my hair.

I wasn’t a fan of what time had carved into me—lines of exhaustion, silver at my temples—but Genevieve loved all of it. Claimed time had done me well. Turned me into a silver fox.

Though the same grey hairs she praised were always the ones she’d tug out later when I had her underneath me.

“I-I want you to come with me,” she whispered finally. “To the Russel estate.”

There it was. The words hung in the air between us.

I said nothing at first. Her pulse fluttered beneath her jaw, her nervous hands shook the slightest bit, eyes holding hope she was too afraid to voice.

She rushed on when I didn’t answer fast enough. “I know it’s complicated. I know you haven’t seen the Russels in years. I know what they did to you. But I want Brielle to know who you are.” She hesitated, eyes flicking away. “I don’t—I don’t want us to be hidden anymore. I don’t want you to feel like you have to stay hidden anymore. You’re the most powerful man alive. No one can touch you anymore. No one can keep you hidden.”

She wasn’t wrong. I could’ve resurfaced years ago. Frederick Russel no longer had the reach to bury me. My name carried more weight in the shadows than it ever did in daylight.

The world had changed, and I had changed with it. I could’ve stepped back into the spotlight whenever I wanted. But for what?

Power? I already had it.

Money? I had more than I could spend in ten lifetimes.

Legacy? It existed whether the public saw my face or not.

There was nothing left for me out there… nothing in the real world worth the performance, the scrutiny or the noise.

So I stayed gone. For my peace and the small, quiet life we carved out of the wreckage. She had Brielle now, a daughter she never got to raise, a connection she’d dreamed of having her whole damn life.

And me? I convinced myself I didn’t need anything else.

“And I think… I think it would be good,” she said gently. “For her. For us.”

For us.

I didn’t comment on whether or not I should go, because truly… I didn’t know. I’d built a life so far removed from the world that tried to erase me that stepping back into the dynasty felt almost… pointless.

Why interrupt the life I had, when it finally felt enough?

So instead of facing that truth, I pushed the conversation back onto her. “Walking into that estate means you’re going to see every piece of the life you lost. The one you left and still grieve… And I’m supposed to stand there,” I murmured, “and watch you break all over again?”

Her eyes filled, but she shook her head decisively as her hand intertwined with mine. “I won’t break,” she whispered. “Not if you’re with me.”

I studied her for a long moment. I wasn’t staying hidden because I feared the world. I stayed hidden because the only thing I ever wanted was already in my hands.

I told myself that was enough, believed it for a long time.

But if that were true…

I wouldn’t have spent years keeping tabs on the children she left behind. Wouldn’t have monitored Brielle the second she entered Russel territory or kept tabs on Eugene to make sure he didn’t spiral. I wouldn’t have gone through such lengths, endured so much in the dark to make sure they stayed in the light.

And for the most part… the convincing had worked.

Until now.

I leaned down, pressing my forehead to her shoulder as a deep sigh escaped my chest. “When do we leave?”

Her relief hit her instantly, her hands clutching my shirt as she exhaled shakily. “Tomorrow morning.”