Saturday morning arrived before Ivy was ready for it.
She woke at four-thirty, her heart already racing, her body thrumming with nervous energy that made sleep impossible. The darkness outside her window was absolute—mountain darkness, the kind that pressed against the glass like something alive. No streetlights. No passing cars. Just the forest and the stars and the weight of everything she'd built hanging in the balance.
Today was the day. The grand opening. The moment when Black Briar Hollow would either embrace what she'd created or reject it entirely.
Ivy lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, feeling the old building settle around her with its familiar creaks and sighs. The floorboards were cool beneath her bare feet when she finally rose, padding to the window to look ou
