Chapter 43:
The Secrets Beneath the Ashes
The night in Moonshadow Ridge was unusually still, as if the forest itself were holding its breath. The air carried the lingering smell of smoke from the fire that had ravaged the old chapel hours earlier, its charred remains now nothing more than blackened stone and smoldering beams. The flames had died, but the questions they left behind burned even hotter in the hearts of those who had witnessed the blaze.
Inside Damien’s manor, the atmosphere was heavy with both exhaustion and tension. Elena sat near the grand fireplace, her hands trembling slightly as she clasped a cup of untouched tea. The firelight flickered across her pale face, illuminating the shadows in her eyes. Across from her, Damien leaned against the mantelpiece, his shirt half-
