Ares accompanied Lara back to the Zuvel mansion in Laguna, the drive ending beneath a sky bleached pale by the early afternoon sun. Yet the moment they stepped through the wrought-iron gates, the light seemed to dim—as if the estate itself swallowed warmth whole and exhaled only unease.
The mansion loomed ahead, grand and immaculate, but lifeless. Even the breeze that stirred the tall palms felt reluctant, brushing past them like a whispered warning.
Lara felt it immediately.
Something was wrong.
Inside, the air was thick—too still, too heavy. The living room, usually pristine and welcoming, now felt like a stage set for confrontation.
Her eyes landed first on Shay.
