Denise didn’t sleep that night.
Not because she couldn’t.
Because the mansion wouldn’t let the night feel like night.
There were no sounds of settling wood, no distant hum of normal buildings winding down.
Instead, there was a kind of quiet that felt curated.
Like everything inside the house had agreed to be still.
And was waiting for someone to break the agreement first.
Denise stood at her window for a long time.
The courtyard below was empty now.
No cars.
No movement.
No sign that anything unusual had happened at all.
Except she knew better.
Because the house felt… satisfied.
That was the only word her mind offered her.
Satisfied in a way that made her skin uneasy.
Behind her, the door clicked.
She didn’t turn around.
“You’re up late,” Liam said.
“I didn’t realize the
