Sophie’s POV
For once, the silence of the estate stretched uninterrupted, every tick of the grandfather clock in the hallway scraping against my nerves. I thought I would get a reprieve—time to breathe, to think.
Marcus appeared at my door, his expression impassive, his suit crisp. “The boss wants you. Now.”
Of course he did.
I followed him through the winding halls, down into parts of the mansion I hadn’t seen before. The further we descended, the colder the air grew, until the hum of fluorescent lights replaced the glow of chandeliers.
The basement wasn’t like the grand rooms above. It was utilitarian—concrete floors, steel doors, a maze designed for function, not beauty. Marcus led me to a long corridor and stopped outside a heavy black door.
“He’s inside,” Marcus said. His eyes
