She hadn't felt this alive in years.
The way he looked at her over dinner. The touch of his fingers on her wrist. The soft, almost teasing way he'd let her feed him fruit. It was all there again — the spark, the heat, the hunger.
Roman Ashborne had missed her.
She saw it. Felt it. Knew it.
So when midnight came and the lights in the hall dimmed, Gloria didn't hesitate.
She stood in front of the mirror, brushed out her hair, and changed into the silk slip she used to wear when she was his wife — ivory and low-cut, just the way he liked.
She didn't knock.
She never used to.
---
The bedroom was dark — cold, cathedral-high ceilings, the scent of cedar and shadow.
She stepped in softly.
Roman was by the window, shirtless, a drink in his hand, his silhouette still carved from steel.
He didn't turn around.
"I was waiting," she whispered.
He said nothing.
She smiled, stepped closer, letting the hem of her gown brush the floor.
"I missed you," she breathed. "I never stopped. I only left because I thought you'd never—"
Roman held up a hand.
Still not looking at her.
"Gloria," he said, his voice flat, "put your robe back on."
Her breath caught.
She gave a small, awkward laugh. "What?"
He turned slowly now, eyes unreadable.
"You misunderstood tonight."
She blinked. "But you—at dinner—you—"
"I performed. That's what you do in front of vermin. You entertain them."
Her smile vanished.
Roman stepped closer.
And suddenly she remembered the cold.
The real Roman. The one who never touched unless he wanted to break something.
"I flirted," he said, voice low. "Because I needed her to feel disposable."
Gloria's stomach twisted.
"And she did," he added. "Which means I have a problem."
He walked past her, opened the door.
"You may sleep wherever you wish," he said. "Just not here."
Gloria didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
---
In the hallway, she heard laughter — faint and soft — Lelo's voice from down the corridor, whispering stories to someone who didn't reply.
Gloria stared down the empty hallway, then back into the room.
Roman was gone.
The light had been turned off.
And the door, this time, shut with a soft but final click.
---