The air in the mansion felt heavier that evening.
Not visibly.
Not in a way anyone could point to.
But Zara felt it the moment she stepped back into her room. It clung to her skin, settled into her thoughts, lingered in the quiet spaces between her breaths.
Noah’s words hadn’t left her.
You won’t be able to play both sides for long.
She moved toward the window, pushing the curtain aside slightly as her gaze drifted over the vast estate outside. Everything looked peaceful from a distance—orderly, controlled, untouched.
A lie.
Her mind was working faster now, sharper than before.
Liam’s boldness.
Noah’s suspicion.
Ethan’s quiet watchfulness.
Three different currents pulling in different directions.
And somewhere in the middle—
Her.
Zara exhaled slowly and turned away from the window.
She needed clarity.
Not emotion.
Not reaction.
Clarity.
The faint sound of voices reached her then.
Low.
Muffled.
But unmistakable.
Zara stilled.
Her head tilted slightly, listening.
The voices weren’t coming from inside her room.
They were outside.
Down the corridor.
Her instincts sharpened instantly.
Carefully, she moved toward the door, opening it just enough to slip into the hallway without making a sound.
The mansion was quiet, the evening settling in, shadows stretching long across the polished floors.
The voices were clearer now.
Familiar.
Liam.
And Noah.
Zara’s pulse quickened.
She moved slowly, her steps light, controlled, until she reached the corner where the corridor turned toward the study.
The door was slightly ajar.
Light spilled faintly into the hallway.
She stopped just before it.
Hidden from view.
Listening.
“This isn’t working.”
Liam’s voice was lower than usual, stripped of its usual playfulness.
Noah responded, calm but firm.
“It was never supposed to be easy.”
Zara leaned slightly closer, her breath shallow, careful not to make a sound.
“She’s already changing things,” Liam continued. “You can feel it.”
A pause.
“Yes,” Noah said. “And that’s exactly why she’s a problem.”
Zara’s fingers tightened slightly at her side.
“She wasn’t...