The days following Victor's visit to the estate were tense, each moment wrapped in an unshakable sense of dread. I felt it in the air, in the whispers of the staff as they passed me in the halls, and most of all, in the way Damien's eyes would narrow, his mind clearly elsewhere. We had agreed to work together, but the task ahead of us felt monumental.
Still, amid the chaos, something unexpected happened—our bond deepened.
We spent hours poring over the documents in the library, our heads bent close together as we tried to piece together the puzzle of lies, betrayals, and greed that surrounded us. Damien was patient and methodical, pointing out connections I never would have seen on my own. But it wasn't just his intellect that drew me closer. It was the quiet vulnerability he let slip in those rare moments when his guard was down.
"You know," he said one evening, his voice soft, "I never wanted any of this."
