The heavy iron gates swung open smoothly as if parting a dark spell, allowing the car to glide down the sweeping driveway. In the distance, the grand mansion towered into the night sky, its silhouette carved by the warm glow of candlelight flickering from within, casting long, eerie shadows across the dark stone walls.
Aira stared out the tinted window, her throat tightening with every passing second. This wasn’t just a house. It was a sprawling kingdom. His kingdom.
"You look pale," Dominic remarked from the seat beside her, his dark eyes studying her profile in the dim light. "Is it the French cold? Or fear?"
"It’s disgust," she whispered softly, refusing to turn her head and meet his gaze.
Dominic chuckled, a low, resonant sound that echoed in the quiet car. "Good. Let’s keep the mo
