The Monte Riego estate, with its towering stone walls and vast halls, felt more like a living entity than just a home—a place where every shadow seemed to hold secrets, and every corner whispered of a history I had yet to uncover. The air hung thick with expectation, as though the walls themselves knew more than I did.
After another long day of preparations for the competition, I found myself once again drawn to the quiet solace of my grandmother's study. The competition felt like the least of my worries now, though its presence loomed over me. My thoughts kept drifting back to the strange behaviors around me—the cryptic words Lianne had spoken, the watchful presence of Kieran, and the quiet, unspoken tension that seemed to linger between my mother and Royswald, our loyal butler.
Royswald had served our family for as long as I could remember, and even longer before that. His family had served the Monte Riegos for generations, each butler passing down their knowledge and loyalty to the next. He was a fixture in our lives, steady, unwavering, and often unnoticed. But lately, I had noticed him more. He moved through the estate with the quiet confidence of someone who knew more than they ever let on, and I couldn't shake the feeling that he was guarding something—something important.
As I reached the top of the grand staircase, the soft murmur of voices floated down the hall. I paused, my hand resting on the smooth wooden banister, and strained to listen.
It was my mother speaking, her voice low and measured, though there was a tension there that I hadn't heard before. And the other voice—deeper, calm, and steady—belonged to Royswald.
"She's starting to ask questions," my mother said, her words muffled but clear enough. "I can't keep her in the dark forever."
Royswald's reply came slowly, his voice thoughtful, as though he were choosing his words carefully. "Miss Seraphine is strong, my lady, but there are things she is not yet ready to understand. The legacy we have protected for generations is not one to be revealed lightly."
I edged closer to the door, my breath catching in my throat. They were talking about me.
"But the Thornstones," my mother pressed, her voice filled with concern. "They're becoming more aggressive. Lianne is already making her moves, and I fear what will happen if Seraphine gets too close to the truth."
There was a long pause before Royswald responded. "The Thornstones seek what they cannot have. Their family has always been driven by ambition and power, but they lack the wisdom to wield what they desire. Miss Seraphine will need to face them in time, but until she's ready, it is our duty to shield her from their influence."
I pressed my back against the wall, my heart pounding in my chest. What truth? What was Royswald protecting me from? And why were the Thornstones so dangerous?
"And Kieran?" my mother asked, her voice barely a whisper now. "What of him?"
My pulse quickened at the mention of his name. Kieran had always been there, on the edges of my life, watching, silent. But now, it seemed there was more to him than I had realized.
Royswald's voice was calm but firm. "Kieran's role is complicated, my lady. He is bound by forces we cannot fully control, but for now, he is necessary. However, Miss Seraphine must not know the extent of his involvement. Not yet."
I stepped away from the door, my mind racing with questions. Kieran. The Thornstones. My family's legacy. It was all connected, but the pieces didn't fit together. Not yet.
I slipped into my grandmother's study, closing the door softly behind me. The familiar warmth of the room wrapped around me, but it did little to calm the storm brewing in my mind. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the shelves, and the scent of leather-bound books filled the air. This room had always been a sanctuary, a place where my grandmother had shared her wisdom with me. But now, it felt like a puzzle, and I was missing the key piece.
I moved toward the desk, my fingers brushing against the smooth surface. The memories of my grandmother were strong here, but there was something else too—something she hadn't told me. I could feel it, lingering just beneath the surface, waiting to be uncovered.
I pulled open one of the desk drawers and found a worn leather journal nestled among the papers. My breath caught as I flipped through the pages, my grandmother's familiar handwriting scrawled across them in neat lines. But these were not the usual notes on family matters. These were different—darker.
"The Thornstones are growing bolder," one entry read. "They seek what has been kept from them for centuries. Lianne is their latest weapon, and she is more dangerous than any before her. Seraphine must be kept in the dark until the time is right. She is not ready for the truth, not yet."
I stared at the words, my heart pounding in my chest. The Thornstones… Lianne… They had always been rivals, but this was something more. Something deeper. What was my grandmother hiding? What truth was I not ready for?
Before I could read further, a strange sensation washed over me—a prickle at the back of my neck, as though I were being watched. I looked up, my eyes drifting to the window, and froze.
There, standing in the garden just beyond the window, was Kieran. His figure was framed by the fading light of the evening, his dark hair falling over his forehead in soft waves. He stood still, watching me, his expression unreadable. There was something about him, something that pulled at the edges of my memory, like a dream I couldn't quite remember.
For a moment, our eyes met, and the world seemed to slow. The shadows deepened around him, and the air felt heavy, charged with an energy I didn't understand. My breath caught in my throat, but before I could move, Kieran turned and disappeared into the darkness of the garden, leaving me with more questions than answers.
I sat back down at the desk, the journal still open in front of me, but my mind was elsewhere. Kieran's presence had stirred something inside me, a sense that there was more to him than I had ever realized. My mother and Royswald had spoken of him in hushed tones, as though he were both a danger and a necessity.
What role did he play in all of this? Why was he always watching? And why did they think I wasn't ready to know the truth?
My curiosity gnawed at me, growing stronger with each passing moment. The pieces of the puzzle were there, scattered around me, but I couldn't yet see the full picture. All I knew was that whatever my family was hiding, it was connected to the Thornstones, to Kieran, and to a legacy that stretched back further than I had ever imagined.
I stood, closing the journal and placing it back in the drawer. The sun had set now, and the estate was bathed in the cool glow of the moonlight. But as I left the study and made my way down the grand hallways, one thought lingered in my mind.
I had to find out the truth. No matter what it cost me.