Alina’s POV

The storm had passed, but the air around the mansion still felt heavy — like the sky itself was holding its breath.

Three days had gone by since Patricia’s visit, and life inside the Sterling mansion had fallen into a strange rhythm — quiet but charged. Every hour, every whisper, every knock at the door made my pulse quicken, wondering if it was Atlas making his move.

But he hadn’t.

Not yet.

Instead, Ares used the time wisely. He’d returned to therapy in the ...