Author POV

Gray stepped into the grand dining hall, his footsteps echoing off the marble floor. The air was thick with tension, the kind that clung to the walls of the Blackwood mansion like an old curse. His perfectly tailored black suit fit him like armor, his expression cold and unreadable.

Luca sat at the head of the long mahogany table, his gaze sharp as a blade. Beside him, Lara offered a strained smile that didn’t reach her eyes. George, leaning back casually in his chair, let out a ...