The estate loomed against the horizon like a silent fortress, its stone walls kissed by the orange glow of the dying sun. The ride had been long, filled with Vanessa’s quiet questions, Nicolas’s brooding silence, and my internal war of why I had let him drag us here.

“Stay close to me,” Nicolas said as the gates creaked open, the weight of his voice cutting through the engine's hum.

I glanced down at Vanessa, her tiny hand wrapped firmly in mine. She wasn’t afraid, just curious. Her ...