He hung up. The phone disappeared into his pocket.
"Mia."
She looked at her husband. She was too tired for more explanations. Too tired for more lies dressed in silk.
Her eyes were dead. Flat and dark as the obsidian floor beneath their feet.
She nodded once. "You can do whatever you feel like."
She turned and walked toward the corridor, but Xavier closed the distance in two strides and wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her back against his chest. His chin settled on her shoulder.
"You just need to learn how to adapt." His voice was low, almost tender, almost convincing. "I can't indulge you in everything. But from now on, I will be present. I'll take care of you and our baby."
He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.
Mia said nothing. She let him hold her. She let him kiss her. And then she walked away.
She had not yet reached the Salvatore compound's main gate when her phone vibrated. A message from Teodoro Brasi, Xavier's most trusted associate.
Sister-in-law, Vanessa is very ill tonight, so Xavier won't be home tomorrow. He's staying to look after her.