I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself as I waited in the dimly lit study. Shadows from the flickering fireplace danced across the room, giving everything a dark, foreboding glow. It felt suffocating, like the walls themselves were closing in on me. Every instinct screamed that I shouldn't be here, meeting Victor—Damien's estranged brother. But curiosity, or perhaps defiance, held me rooted to the spot. I needed answers, even if they came from the lips of a man who'd spent years waging a silent war against his own blood.
A tall, slender figure slipped through the door, barely making a sound. Victor's presence was different from Damien's; where Damien carried a quiet, intense authority, Victor's energy was sharp, probing, like a knife testing for a weak spot. His eyes met mine, a shadow of a smirk hovering on his lips as if he already knew the answers to questions I hadn't even thought to ask.
