Even seated in a high-backed chair, he carried a presence that filled the room. Part authority and a part of weariness. His hair was more silver than black now, his posture a little heavier with age, but his gaze was still sharp and unflinching.
The moment his eyes landed on me, something shifted. Surprise flickered, then recognition softened his expression.
"Ellie Everett," he said, his voice steady but touched with something almost fond.
"I'd know you anywhere. Sophia's little shadow. Always at her side when the two of you were children."
My lips parted in shock. "You remember me, Mr Donovan?"
A low chuckle rumbled from him, though it didn't quite hide the weight in his tone.
"Of course I do. Marie could never forget the quiet little girl who ate more of her cookies than Sophia herself. You were family in this house once, long before the years, and business pulled us away."
Heat rose to my cheeks, memories of long afternoons spent here with Sophia flashing back. The laughter, the warmth, and the easy welcome I'd always felt.
Edward's expression grew more serious. "I am sorry it has taken this long for you to bring you back under our roof. And sorrier that it is under darker circumstances." His eyes flicked briefly to Tristan, a flash of guilt there before settling back on me.
I clutched the handle of my suitcase, unsure what to say.
"Do not let the scale of this house or the shadows of our name frighten you," Edward continued. "This family owes you kindness, if only for the years of friendship you've given Sophia." His voice lowered, carrying the gravity of a man who knew the cost of the life he'd built. "You will be safe here, Ellie. That much, I promise."
My throat tightened at the sincerity in his tone. He wasn't just speaking as a powerful patriarch, but as a father who carried the guilt of dragging his children into a dangerous world and perhaps he saw me as a reminder of what innocence looked like, once.
Tristan stood beside me, silent but protective, his presence a steady line of tension.
Edward finally gestured toward the staircase. "Go upstairs and rest. The guest room next to Sophia's room is ready. Let this place feel familiar to you again. It will always be your second home."
Before I could answer, I heard footsteps echoed from above.
I looked up just in time to see Jamie Donovan descending the staircase, and his brows arched in surprise as his gaze swept over me.
And in his eyes, full of curiosity burned with the questions I wasn't ready to answer.