The brief silence that followed Rakshasa's response no longer carried the raw tension of before, but something more refined, more strategic, as if both had tacitly recognized that they had crossed an invisible line in that conversation.
It was no longer just provocation, nor just curiosity… now there was a common ground, dangerous and intriguing, where intentions were beginning to take real form.
Victor remained motionless for a few moments, his eyes still fixed on her, absorbing not only the words, but the subtext, the weight behind each offer, each insinuation.
His fingers drummed lightly on the wooden table, an almost unconscious gesture, as he organized his own thoughts, not hastily, but with the precision of someone who knew exactly the value of each decision he made.
He then let out a slight sigh through his nose, relaxing his shoulders minimally before finally speaking, his voice resuming that casual tone that always seemed to walk dangerously close to provocation.
