Mara POV
Diana comes home on Tuesday, and suddenly the manor feels less like a mausoleum and more like a place people actually live.
She's staying in the guest house with strict orders for bed rest and no stress. She's healing.
By Friday, I'm restless enough to explore.
The manor is massive—rooms I've never entered, wings I've only glimpsed. Lucien's been locked in his office for some time now, handling some acquisition crisis, barely joining for meals. Whatever peace we had at the hospital is gone now and we are distant again.
I wander the west wing, where afternoon light slants through floor-to-ceiling windows. This part of the house feels older, less modern. Hardwood instead of marble. Crown molding instead of clean lines.
That's when I notice the door.
Tucked at the end of th
