Maya POV
I walked slowly, counting every step, trying to steady the knot in my stomach.
Who the hell could be in the house?
I couldn’t call Maddox—not that I wanted to risk interrupting him if he was in some important meeting.
I told myself that over and over, but my own voice sounded shaky in my head.
I kept moving, each step deliberate, careful, until I reached the entrance of the mansion.
That same noise I’d heard before—it came again, closer this time, from the kitchen. My stomach sank.
I froze
I crept toward the kitchen, each step measured. Nothing.
At the window, i stood there scanning the yard. Still nothing.
But the noise… it was definitely closer now, coming from outside. My pulse quickened.
Instinctively, I grabbed a knife case from the plate rack, holding it at my
