The morning sun spilled over the terrace, but Carson and Justina weren’t ready to face the world above just yet. They had survived fire, betrayal, and the labyrinth beneath the estate, yet the weight of emotion still clung to them, palpable, raw.

Carson led Justina back into their private suite, the one room in the estate untouched by any shadow of the past. The space was warm, sunlit, and intimate. Justina’s heart pounded, not from fear, but anticipation.

“You know,” Carson ...