The ride back to the Cross estate was quiet.Nathan rode at the front, his face carved from stone, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. Alessio kept pace beside him, watching without hovering. The rest of the group followed in silence, the weight of what they'd learned pressing down on all of them.The estate rose out of the snow like a promise.Maria was waiting.She stood on the steps, wrapped in a heavy cloak, her eyes scanning the approaching party with the desperate hope of a mother who had learned that hope was dangerous. Ivy stood beside her, just as tense, just as watchful.When she saw Nathan—alive, whole, here—something in her shoulders loosened.But then she saw their faces.
Last Updated : 2026-03-15
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