JASMINE
The mansion felt unusually still when we finally returned home that night.
The clock in the foyer ticked steadily, each second echoing through the marble halls like a constant reminder that time was slipping away from us.
My body ached fiercely from Henry's attack and bruised ribs protesting with every breath I took, and the split on my lip stinging sharply whenever I moved my mouth.
But the deeper exhaustion came from the emotional toll of the day.
Grandmother's haunting revelations, Christiana's venomous words, and the small USB drive burning like fire in my pocket.
Stephan kept his arm wrapped securely around my waist as we walked inside, his steady warmth the only thing keeping me grounded. The house was quiet, the kind of silence that felt both comforting and heavy after the chaos we had faced.
Once we reached our bedroom, Stephan closed the door softly behind us.
