Nigel exhaled a slow breath, eyes flicking over the ceiling.

He should feel victorious. He’d successfully swooped in and stolen the crown jewel of Alex’s desire. Yet he did not feel as smug nor anticipatory as he should have. This was supposed to be a win, a conquest on his path to turning Alex into the Jack he needed for eternity.

Yet as he stared at the mindless groves in the ceiling, he felt no victory. Infact he wasn’t quite sure what he felt.