The Sterling estate had never felt more alive. The long corridors that had once echoed with tension now hummed with quiet conversation, laughter, and the soft clinking of cutlery. Candles flickered across the dining room, casting a golden glow over the faces of those who had fought, survived, and endured.

Alina sat at the head of the table, Hope tucked in her lap, both of them giggling quietly over a shared story of a small mishap from earlier in the day. Across from her, Maria’s eyes ...