Estate, where two neat rows of househo

hey had been e

how of power, but also a tool. A formal reception l

rd with a slight bow. "Ma'am, if you please."

s a monument to staggering wealth. A massive crystal chandelier blazed overhead

t find a single shadow any

taff. In the great hall alone, more than

ds in unison-deep, silent gestures of

ed, their footsteps we

light, felt chillingly sinister, an

so the staff has made a ha

to outsiders, referred to him simply as "M

"Roger, what is Zachary li

married in a hurry and have never met. We are complete strangers. I ne

replied, his smile tight and practiced. "As for his preferences... Mr. Harding dislikes his priv

od silent and tense, like statues carved from fear. The

years, trapped in the viper's nest of the Harding family... he could easi

his non-answer only stre

eld his gaze,

and eventually, Roger

is study at this hour," he said, his professional mask slipping back into p

press him further. "F

he suite, Kylee opened her handbag and too

he could assess his condition, formula

d a divorce. He would owe her a debt, an

ry. The hours dragged on into evening. Eventually, a heavy drowsiness wa

ea

the suite

istered a sound-the steady, rhythmic click of dress shoes on the hard f

ng was

he should have heard in their bedroom was t

tammered, unable to see the

body pressing her down into the sofa. He pinned her there,