Her hand twitched at her side, and for a moment, Julian thought she might strike him. But she didn't. Instead, she swallowed hard, fighting to regain control of herself.
"Enough," she finally managed to whisper. But the word came too late. The tension had already broken, and they both knew it. Her delay in speaking had already given him the victory.
Julian chuckled softly, stepping back and creating distance between them. "As you wish, Grandmother," he teased with a smirk.
He turned once to Augustus before walking away without a second glance at her. Gregoria remained rooted in the same spot, her cheeks marked with faint blush.
Julian's grin widened as he heard her soft, angry intakes of breath. He didn't need to look at her to know that her pride had been bruised, but she wasn't going to show it. Not yet.
But he knew. And so did she.
Reaching the door, Julian paused for a moment and turned to face her. "
