The villa was quieter than usual that night. The kind of quiet that doesn’t comfort you but warns you. I couldn’t sleep, and neither could my thoughts.
The folder on Damian’s desk haunted me. Family Secrets. The words themselves were dangerous. I had seen a glimpse of it, and I knew there was enough inside to ruin everything — him, his grandmother, Celeste, even me.
I sat on the edge of my bed, my mind racing.
Could I really dig into this? Could I risk looking further?
I told myself it wasn’t curiosity. It was survival. Knowledge was power. And if I didn’t understand what Damian was hiding, I had no chance of protecting myself — or winning this game.
I waited until the house was silent, footsteps in the hallway fading away. Then, silently, I crept into Damian’s study.
The folder was
