Night did not fall over the estate so much as it settled into it, slow and deliberate, pressing against the walls like an unseen presence that had every intention of staying. The lights dimmed automatically as evening protocols engaged, security shifting seamlessly into its nocturnal rhythm, but nothing about the atmosphere suggested rest. It felt suspended, as though time itself had paused to watch what would happen next. Liana lay awake, staring at the ceiling, tracing familiar cracks and shadows that no longer felt comforting. The bed was too large, the sheets too still, her body humming with a tension that refused to ease no matter how many deep breaths she took. Somewhere beyond her room, men moved with quiet purpose, footsteps measured, radios kept to whispers. She could sense them more than hear them, like a low vibration beneath the surface of everything. She turned onto her side, pulling the blanket tighter around herself, but the gesture brought no comf
Last Updated : 2025-12-24 Read more