The Avoidance Clause

Vivienne’s POV

As the Valentine’s Day ball drew even closer, I had stopped being surprised by Valentin’s uncanny ability to disappear emotionally. It was almost impressive how easily he could vanish without ever physically leaving the house. A ghost in tailored suits.

He’d said that we’d revisit that conversation after he had to step away from the boardroom for a meeting that day. After he kissed