He caught himself and dropped his hand, but the gesture had already been made.

“We’re setting up a temporary streaming studio in the guest parlor,” Jared told me.

“Courtney has to maintain her daily broadcasts to keep the public engaged.”

“Naturally,” I said. “The brand comes first.”

Jared’s jaw clenched slightly, but he kept his professional smile intact.

“I have a budget meeting at the office,” he said, checking his silver watch.

“Courtney, the guards will be stationed at both entrance points. You’re completely safe.”

“Thank you, Jared,” she whispered, looking up at him with wide, adoring eyes.

He kissed her cheek—a lingering, inappropriate gesture under the guise of comfort.

Then he nodded to me and walked out the heavy front doors.

The silence in the foyer grew thick and suffocating.

Courtney turned to her assistant and dismissed her with a flick of her wrist.

Once the assistant was out of earshot, Courtney stepped closer to me.

The sweet, victimized influencer persona vanished in an instant.

“You must hate this,” she said, her voice dropping to a low, cold register.

“This is my home, Courtney,” I said quietly.