*Third Person POV*
Elder Philip stood at the gate, sensing something deeply wrong. The estate was silent—too silent. No warriors, no maidens, no signs of life. Just an eerie stillness that clung to the walls like dust.
Yet he was sure—Laura had to be inside.
He’d seen two warriors exit moments earlier and had asked them about their mistress. They insisted she was within. But why would the entire staff vanish at once?
Room by room, he searched—silently, quickly—but Laura was nowhere to be found. She hadn’t fled in fear; if anything, she was likely watching. *She knows.* That was the only explanation.
He clenched his jaw. No one else knew of his plans. If she was hiding, it was because she’d figured it out herself. Still, he wouldn’t give up. He decided to wait her out. She would show h
