Fortress

The estate was no longer a home; it was a fortress.

By the time Ares returned from the city with the children, the house staff had already doubled. Uniformed nannies moved briskly across the hallways, each assigned to a child. Armed security stood at every entryway, their earpieces buzzing faintly, eyes scanning every shadow.

In the living room, black monitors were mounted onto the cream walls, streaming live CCTV footage from every corner of the mansion—the nursery, the playroom, ...