The estate aboveground lay bathed in morning light, calm and serene, as if it had forgotten the labyrinth of secrets lurking beneath. Carson and Justina moved cautiously through the grand halls, their footsteps echoing faintly on polished marble. Vault Zero had been neutralized, his father contained, yet the estate itself still hummed with quiet life its walls a reminder of the years of manipulation and countless eyes that had silently watched them grow.

Justina paused near a tall ...