The northern district villa sat under a heavy, suffocating silence that smelled of stagnant rain and decaying luxury. Only a few weeks prior, the grand iron gates had opened daily for luxury town cars, prominent charity committee members, and high-society socialites. Now, the long gravel driveway was completely deserted, choked with dead pine needles, the exterior perimeter shrouded in an icy mid-morning mist that seemed to isolate the estate from the rest of the world.Inside the main drawing room, the curtains were drawn tightly against the grey daylight, casting long, bruised shadows across the antique Persian rugs and gilded armchairs.Chloe sat curled tightly on the velvet settee in the corner of the room, her knees pulled vi
Last Updated : 2026-09-01 Read more