Betty’s POV

The drive to the Orlov estate was calm. Ivan played the radio the entire time while I tried to get my thoughts together.

I kept my eyes on the road ahead, even though I was not the one driving. The trees blurred past, covered in snow, the sky painted in soft orange fading into grey. The afternoon sky slowly turned to evening.

By the time we arrived, the sun had dipped lower, leaving the estate wrapped in that strange winter glow. The sky was a bit cloudy and the evening orange ...