The rain outside the mansion fell in rhythmic sheets, a steady drumming against the windows. I stood by the grand bay window in my room, staring into the gray distance as the storm mirrored the chaos brewing inside me. The events of the past days swirled in my mind like a maelstrom: the letter from my mother, the insinuations from my stepmother and sister, and Damien's cryptic warnings. Each piece seemed to fall into place, but not in a way that made sense — more like a shattered mosaic where no amount of glue could restore the picture.
And then, there was Damien.
The man who had once seemed so impenetrable, so carved from stone, had slowly begun to unravel in front of me. Yet, even his vulnerability came with shadows. Did his honesty have limits? Was there a line he wouldn't cross, a truth he would never share?
