Chapter 61: The Estate Gates

Celestine Heights did not announce itself with excess.

There were no banners, no gilded crests visible from the road, no architectural flourish meant to impress strangers. That alone unsettled Lillian more than grandeur would have.

The car slowed as the gates came into view.

Iron. Dark. Unadorned. Set into pale stone softened by climbing greenery. The design suggested age rather than wealth. Continuity rather than conquest.

The driver exited without instruction and opened her door.

“Miss Bloom,