By the fifth day, Michael returned to the estate.
He didn’t announce it. No calls ahead. No instructions to the staff. No security clearance updates.
Michael simply parked his Tesla at the far edge of the property, near the line of tall cypress trees that marked the estate's southern border. The sky was darkening, a dull slate blue fading into black, and the headlights cut off almost immediately as he killed the engine. Silence followed. Heavy. Intentional.
He stepped out of the car, coat collar turned up against the cool wind, shoes crunching softly against the gravel. There was no one out here. That was the point.
He moved fast, cutting across the lawn with precision, instinct guiding his steps. He didn’t need lights. He’d walked these paths a thousand times in his past life. Before
