The mansion had become strangely quiet — not peaceful, but heavy with emotions no one dared to speak aloud.
Every glance, every silence, every faint smile now carried meaning. But no one had the courage to voice it.
Three hearts beat under one roof — all bound by one woman’s presence and by the pride, fear, and uncertainty that kept them from speaking the truth.
Jacob had never been more distracted in his life.
He sat behind his desk in the study, papers spread before him, numbers and reports blurring together into meaningless lines. Every few minutes, his mind drifted to the same place — to the soft sound of Lydia’s laughter, the warmth of her smile, the way her eyes lit up whenever she spoke.
He’d tried to deny it, to bury the feelings that kept growing stronger every day, but it wa
