The private sitting room overlooked the vast fields of the Knight estate, rolling endlessly beneath a sky brushed with late-afternoon gold. The tall windows were open, letting in the scent of wildflowers and earth. Valeria stood near the glass, her silhouette elegant and still, long red hair falling down her back like a quiet promise of power.
She looked timeless.
Not young, not old… just simply present, as if the world adjusted itself around her rather than the other way around.
“Valeria, you there?” Riana stepped into the room softly, closing the door behind her. For a moment she simply watched. Valeria’s posture was relaxed, one hand resting lightly against the window frame, eyes distant as she surveyed the land.
Riana parted her lips. “I wanted to ask—”
“You’re wonderi
