Quiet DistanceAVA’S POVThe mansion was quiet again.Not the suffocating silence Ava had felt during her first days here, when every step felt like she was walking through someone else’s world. This silence was different. It felt… intentional.She had made it that way.Ava tied her hair into a loose ponytail and stood in the kitchen, staring at the bowl of flour in front of her. The chef named Marco watched her with a mixture of amusement and concern.“You’re thinking too much,” he said, leaning against the counter. “Baking doesn’t work like that.”Ava blinked, realizing she had been holding the whisk in midair for almost a full minute.“Sorry,” she murmured.Marco chuckled softly. “If you keep staring at it, the cake won’t mix itself.”She huffed out a quiet laugh and finally started stirring the batter again.The smell of vanilla and sugar filled the kitchen, warm and comforting. It reminded her of simpler days, days before wedding disasters, contracts, and mysterious threats.“Di
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