That night, Luca made a decision.
Not visible.
Not announced.
But enacted.
And in a system like his, decisions didn’t need witnesses to exist. They only needed consequences to confirm them.
Elize felt it the next morning before anything was said.
The estate had changed again.
Not dramatically.
Not structurally.
But in behavior.
Corridors were subtly rerouted in ways that weren’t explained. Staff timing shifted by fractions of seconds that accumulated into noticeable rhythm disruption. Conversations stopped earlier than necessary. Movement patterns tightened.
And most importantly—
Observation density increased.
Not openly.
Not aggressively.
But everywhere.
Like the house was no longer watching her casually.
It was tracking her more carefully.
Enzo appeared earlier than usu
