By late afternoon the estate had settled into a tense rhythm.
The frantic energy that followed the siege had slowly transformed into something quieter but far more deliberate. Guards had doubled their patrol routes around the perimeter, and engineers continued reinforcing the damaged sections of the mansion. From a distance, the estate might have looked like it was simply undergoing repairs after a violent storm.
But everyone inside the walls knew the truth.
They were preparing for another attack.
Vanessa stood near the outer balcony overlooking the forest beyond the gate. The air outside had grown cooler as the sun began lowering behind the distant hills, casting long shadows between the trees.
From this height she could see almost the entire property.
Workers moved steadily across the courtyard. Security teams rotated through the watchtowers that overlooked the surrounding woods. Even the damaged front wall had been temporarily reinforced with steel beams.
