The car glided smoothly down the winding drive leading to the Sterling estate, and Emily's thoughts were a storm inside her head.
She wasn't ready for what she was about to face, but she had no choice.
Lucian was gone, and she was left to deal with his family—especially the patriarch, Grandpa Sterling.
The imposing estate loomed ahead, its tall gates parting for her with a quiet elegance that felt rehearsed, almost mocking.
The kind of elegance that reminded visitors they were stepping into a world where rules were already written long before they arrived.
Coming over with Lucian last time, she had been nervous like a daughter-in-law going to meet her husband's family, so overwhelmed that she hadn't had the chance to appreciate the scenery.
Her heart had been pounding then, but it had been fueled by uncertainty and hope.
Now, it was different.
The mansion itself was grand, an old stone structure with ivy creeping up the walls.
