Vincent lingered for a moment longer, his eyes locked onto Jade's as if searching for a flicker of hesitation.
Then, with a smirk that barely reached his eyes, he finally stepped back.
"Well… let me think about it again," he murmured, his voice laced with something unreadable.
And just like that, he turned on his heel and walked away, his strides slow, deliberate—like a predator retreating only because he chose to, not because he had to.
Jade stood frozen, his breath unsteady, his chest rising and falling in an uneven rhythm.
His fingers curled into fists at his sides, but despite his efforts to steady himself, he could still feel the phantom weight of Vincent's presence pressing against him.
His palm instinctively lifted to his chest, as if to quiet the wild hammering of his heart.
He scowled, cursing himself under his breath, before dragging his hand up to his face—wiping away the remnants of a heat that had no business reaching his cheeks.
Damn him.
