"It's Lazarus."
The heavy doors swung open with a soft creak, and Zhao Li Xin stepped in with quiet elegance, his black robes trailing like shadows behind him.
Leon followed close behind, his presence less graceful but just as commanding.
"Li Xin!" Lory shot up from her chair, her composure shattering in an instant. She rushed toward Zhao Li Xin and threw her arms around him. The dignified noblewoman vanished, replaced by a tender, radiant woman who had waited too long for her beloved.
"You're back..." she whispered, clinging to him.
The tension that had gripped the room moments ago dissipated like morning mist. Faces softened unconsciously. The weight everyone carried eased, even if just a little.
Ethan, sitting stiffly with a document in hand, lowered his gaze and massaged his forehead, feigning focus.
"She's out of your league," Lilly murmured, patting his shoulder with mock sympathy.
