The sirens of Thorne Manor weren’t just alarms; they were the screaming eulogy of an empire that had stood too tall for too long. Red emergency lights pulsed through the grand hallways in a steady, rhythmic heartbeat, turning the pristine white marble floors into a blood river. I ran toward the nursery, my breath hitching in my chest. The gold gown the one Silas had bought to brand me as his possession was now a heavy, glittering weight. I didn't care about the thousands of dollars of silk; I ripped at the seams with my bare hands just to move faster, my heels clicking like gunfire against the stone.
“Toby!” I gasped, bursting into the room.
The nanny was cowering in the corner, her face a mask of pure terror. Toby was sitting up in his crib, his eyes wide and curious, watching the fla
