The estate slept under a blanket of quiet.
Tall iron gates stood at the entrance like silent sentinels, their dark shapes cutting into the pale moonlight. Beyond them, the long driveway curved through trimmed hedges and old oak trees before reaching the modern stone mansion at the center of the property.
From the outside, it looked peaceful.
Protected.
Safe.
Inside the security operations van parked discreetly across the road, multiple monitors glowed softly in the darkness.
Camera feeds lined the screens.
Front gate.
Garden perimeter.
Rear entrance.
Second-floor balcony.
One of the operators adjusted his headset.
“Camera twelve active.”
“Motion sensors clear,” another replied.
A third technician leaned back slightly in his chair, eyes scanning the data feed streaming across
