I was still sitting in my father's office, the weight of his words pressing down on me. Ryder stood beside me, his hand resting on the back of my chair, and I could feel the tension radiating from him. Across the room, Ivy and Justin were exchanging worried glances, their uncertainty reflecting the same anxious thoughts racing through my mind. My father had just finished explaining the complexity of our family history, but the atmosphere remained thick with questions unanswered, lingering on the cusp of something bigger.
Suddenly, the door swung open, startling everyone in the room. A woman stepped inside, her presence commanding attention as if the air itself shifted to accommodate her. Her long, dark cloak billowed behind her, and the piercing gaze she cast over us sent chills down my s
