Julius sat in his study, busy signing off on documents, when a knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," he called out.

Timothy stepped into the office.

"You called for me, sir?"

"Sit," came the command.

Timothy lowered himself into the chair in front of the large mahogany desk. Its polished surface was covered with files, documents, and neatly arranged folders-none of which interested him except for the reason he had been summoned.

Julius paused in the middle of signing a document and lifted his gaze to him.

"Who is the new stable hand?"

Timothy's eyebrow rose slightly.

"Kelvin?"

"If that's what he's called," Julius replied. "Who is he?"

"A new worker," Timothy answered simply. "Didn't you speak to Mr. Andrew?"

Julius frowned.

"I'm speaking to you now. Or do you not know who he is?"

Timothy held his boss's gaze for a moment before answering.

"He's nobody important. He comes from the Western Region, but he was raised in the capital by his mother. Never knew his father or any extended family."

A pause.

"And from what I gathered, he doesn't care enough to look for them."

Julius listened quietly.

"He's only interested in work," Timothy continued. "He wants a place within the clan and is willing to swear allegiance if given the opportunity."

Julius studied Timothy carefully.

"Do you trust him?"

A faint smirk touched Timothy's lips.

"He wouldn't be here if I didn't."

Julius leaned back slightly in his chair.

"Fair enough."

He picked up another document, though his attention no longer seemed fully on it.

"He handled Storm well," Julius said after a moment. "We both know how that horse behaves around strangers."

Interesting, Timothy thought.

So Kelvin's little performance in the stables had caught Julius's attention after all.

Good.

That meant getting Kelvin close to him might require less effort than expected.

"You may go now," Julius said. "But keep an eye on him. If he screws up, it falls on you."

"Of course, sir."

Timothy rose from his chair and bowed respectfully before stepping out of the office.

The door closed softly behind him.

Julius remained seated in silence, staring blankly at the closed door.

Then slowly, thoughtfully, he set his pen down.

Something about the new stable hand unsettled him.

Not enough to alarm him.

But enough to linger.

And Julius Anderson had long since learned not to ignore instincts that refused to disappear.

***

Kelvin was already in the stables early that morning, attending to the horses.

He moved from stall to stall with practiced ease-brushing them down, feeding them, checking their hooves, and riding them through the training pen. Shirtless beneath the morning sun, the tattoos across his arms were fully visible for anyone to see.

And they were seen.

More than once, women and even some of the younger workers slowed as they passed the stables, their eyes lingering on him longer than necessary.

Kelvin rode on, completely unbothered.

Or pretending to be.

He was riding the last horse around the pen when he spotted Timothy approaching the fence.

Kelvin guided the horse closer.

"Already at work?" Timothy asked.

Kelvin smirked.

"That's what I'm here for."

He glanced around the estate.

"Shouldn't you be off working too?"

Timothy squinted slightly against the harsh morning sunlight.

"That was the plan," he said, "until I got summoned by the boss to answer questions about you."

"Really?" Kelvin asked, surprised.

"That was fast. I expected him to notice me after a month or so."

He leaned forward slightly in the saddle.

"I guess I have Mr. Randall to thank for getting me noticed."

Timothy chuckled and looked around the stable yard.

"I don't think Julius is the only one noticing things."

He gestured subtly toward a small group of women standing near the water pump, pretending not to stare at Kelvin while very obviously staring at him.

Kelvin gave a cheeky grin in response, earning a laugh from Timothy.

Unaware to them both, they were being watched.

From the opposite side of the pen, Mrs. Kate Anderson stood quietly behind the fence, observing the two men ahead.

Her eyes lingered on Kelvin longer than necessary.

Something about him continued to stir her instincts in ways she did not understand.

Ahead, the conversation continued.

"So," Kelvin said, bringing the horse to a slower pace, "what exactly did Julius want to know?"

"The usual," Timothy replied. "Who you are. Where you're from. Whether I trust you."

Kelvin scoffed softly.

"And what did you tell him?"

"That you're boring."

Kelvin laughed.

"Good answer."

"It kept him calm."

The horse beneath Kelvin snorted as he guided it around the edge of the pen.

Then their attention shifted toward a young woman approaching from the direction of the mansion.

She carried herself carefully, her hands folded neatly in front of her as she walked.

When she reached them, she greeted Timothy politely before handing him a folded note.

Timothy opened it and quickly scanned the contents.

One of his brows lifted slightly.

He murmured a brief reply to the woman, and she nodded before turning back toward the mansion.

Kelvin watched her leave.

"Being summoned again?" he asked.

"Yes."

"By whom this time?"

Timothy lowered his voice slightly and nodded toward the mansion.

"Mrs. Kate Anderson," he said quietly.

A brief pause.

"Your mother."

Kelvin scoffed immediately.

"I've only ever known one mother," he said coldly. "And she's dead."

The words settled heavily between them.

Timothy looked at him for a moment, uncertain how to respond to that kind of pain.

Kelvin's eyes followed the young woman as she rejoined a well-dressed lady whom Kelvin suspected to be Mrs. Kate before both women disappeared into the mansion.

"She's not all that bad, you know," Timothy said eventually. "Mrs. Kate, I mean. She's kind. Nothing like Julius."

He leaned casually against the fence.

"You might actually like her once you get to know her."

Kelvin smirked faintly.

"Oh really?"

His tone carried something sharper beneath it.

"Like how you've taken a liking to her?"

Timothy caught the accusation hidden inside the comment.

But instead of defending himself, he only shook his head in amusement.

"You notice too much," he said.

Kelvin's eyes remained fixed on the mansion.

"No," he replied quietly.

"Not enough."