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I was so engrossed, I didn’t notice the butler coming to me with his arms full of white roses in full bloom.
“Ms. Vitalis, these arrived for you,” he announced, bowing his head.
He set the vase on a nearby console, and I looked up just in time to catch a single bloom drifting free. I cupped it in my hand, inhaling the way its scent slipped into my senses.
“Thank you,” I said, lifting my gaze. “Who sent them?”
He touched a ribbon tied around the bouquet. “The card should say.” He untied the silk loop and handed me a small envelope. “Shall I take these to your room?”
“Yes, please.”
As he disappeared down the hall, I untied the ribbon, curiosity warming each finger, and slipped the card from its envelope.
The florist’s name was printed on the corner, Petal & Stem.
This was the farm that had provided all of Laya’s wedding flowers. They weren’t cheap, and placing an order with them wasn’t easy. I wasn’t aware they created arrangements like these. From working at Laya’s wedding, I assumed they only worked on large-scale events.
I eased the tiny card free and read:
Cali,
Our lunch together was the bright spot of my week. I can’t stop thinking about you, and I hope I can see you again soon. Thanks for the sunshine. Call me anytime to chat, or…
Strogiká,
Leon
My heart skipped a beat, my pulse taking on a life of its own.
Strogiká—fondly, in Greek—curled at the end of his note like a secret revelation.
My fingertips brushed the handwriting, tracing each word as if it might vanish.
There, on the back, his phone number was inked, as if he had penned it with the same eager thrill I felt now.
I pressed the card between my fingers and imagined dialing, no pressure, just an invitation.
Leon’s words hovered between us like soft music, nothing demanding or loud. He’d left the choice entirely to me. A gentle thrill spread through my veins.
I remembered Dominic’s approach, overbearing tones and bristling insistence, and felt how differently Leon had reached out.
The contrast made me smile. I rose and tucked the card into my pocket for a moment when I could read it again.
Despite their similar reputations as ruthless and cunning, and sometimes violent, syndicate leaders, in person, the two of them were like night and day.
I was captivated by the contradiction between Leon’s serene and patient presence and the intimidating reputation that followed him like a shadow. That intriguing space where light meets shadow in a person’s life had always fascinated me.
To me, the painful traumas of life, while devastating, ultimately made one stronger and added layers of depth to a person’s character and humanity that I believed were unattainable through any other means.
I’d come to understand this truth through my own painful experiences. But I saw this transformation in many others too.
My sisters and I endured the devastating loss of our parents and the shattering of the lives we once knew. Vik, who was very close to our father, took on the monumental responsibility of caring for three spirited girls in hiding while standing alone as a single man.
I observed it in countless others within the syndicates who had lost everything dear to them, their families torn away.
Something profound lingered after such loss, a deep and enduring change.
Most clearly, I recognized it in me after my rescue. I realized that the darkness would never completely vanish. It was now woven into the fabric of my being, altering me permanently, as much a part of me as my very skin.