The mansion did not settle after the conversation at the gate.
If anything, the silence that followed felt heavier than the chaos of the previous night.
Vanessa remained on the balcony long after Marco left to coordinate the night shifts. The courtyard below was still lit by harsh white floodlights, and guards continued their patrol routes with sharper attention than before. Every movement carried a certain rigidity now, as though each person understood that the next attack would not resemble the last.
This one would be precise.
Vanessa rested her hands lightly on the railing, her gaze drifting toward the forest.
Nothing moved.
No reflections.
No silhouettes between the trees.
And yet she felt it.
The same quiet awareness that had settled over her earlier.
They were still being watched.
Behind her, the balcony door opened softly.
She didn't turn.
"You've been standing here for a while."
