The morning dawned too bright, as though the sun had conspired to illuminate every corner of the villa, pouring through the tall windows and casting radiant reflections off the polished marble floors. But no amount of light could erase the haunting memories embedded in the air, remnants of bloodshed that echoed through the opulent halls.

Mara drifted through the corridors like a specter, the words of Damon’s confession resounding in her mind with an unsettling finality: *It’s the only way ...