A Dance with Danger

Chapter Five

**Ilaria's POV**

The soft clink of metal hitting the polished marble floors jolted me from sleep. I opened my eyes reluctantly, glancing at the clock on the nightstand. Six thirty a.m. Far too early for my liking.

The day ahead promised to be full of both tension and anticipation. I hadn't had a full night's sleep in days, and despite the exhaustion weighing me down, my mind wouldn't shut off.

I sighed, rolling onto my side, letting my gaze settle on the early morning light filtering through the window. The sky was a pale wash of blue, hinting at the beginning of another hectic day.

Just seventy-two hours left until the biggest event of my career, and I still had a million things to finalize. The grand reception for the unveiling of my latest project was fast approaching.

It was supposed to be a celebration, a culmination of months-no, years-of hard work. Yet, it felt more like a mountain of pressure, one that I had to scale without the luxury of hesitation.

Sitting up, I stretched, trying to shake off the lingering sleep. Outside my door, I could hear faint murmurs and the hurried steps of house staff-likely Inessa's team preparing for the day. The faint scent of fresh coffee wafted from the kitchen, mingling with the early morning chill in the air.

The quiet hum of activity was usual around here, but today it felt louder, more urgent. Perhaps I was just projecting my own nerves onto the household.

A soft knock on my door startled me, and as I approached, I noticed shards of porcelain scattered just outside. A young maid stood there, her face flushed as she bent to clean up the remnants of what used to be a decorative vase. She looked up at me, eyes wide with panic.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Greyson," she stammered, not meeting my eyes.

I offered her a reassuring smile. "It's all right. Accidents happen."

She visibly relaxed, and with a grateful nod, continued gathering the broken pieces. I slipped past her, already thinking about the long day ahead. The morning had barely begun, and yet it already felt like I had been thrust into the thick of things.

In the dining room, I found Tiberius seated at the head of the table, his usual morning ritual of coffee and waffles already underway. He barely glanced up as I entered, though I could feel his attention the moment I sat down beside him.

It wasn't exactly my choice to sit this close-Inessa, ever the observant housekeeper, had subtly directed me to this seat. There was an unspoken understanding between us. Tiberius was the patriarch of this house, and I had no choice but to follow the expected etiquette, even if it meant tolerating his silent but palpable presence first thing in the morning.

"Thought you'd still be asleep," he murmured, his tone casual but with a glimmer of interest in his eyes.

"How can I, with my big event happening in just seventy-two hours?" I pushed a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of everything that needed to be done pressing down on me. The clock was ticking, and there was no room for error.

The morning light caught the ring on my finger, making it sparkle. Tiberius's gaze drifted to it, a flicker of something-boredom, perhaps-crossing his face. I arched an eyebrow, noting the dark circles beneath his eyes.

"Looks like you could use some sleep yourself," I said, offering him a small, knowing smile. The last few weeks had been relentless, both of us so engrossed in our respective work that any semblance of downtime had become a rare luxury.

We hadn't even managed to spend much time together, let alone enjoy a moment of levity. Between my responsibilities as the event organizer and his-well, whatever it was he did in his shadowy world-I felt like ships passing in the night.