I walked toward the entrance.
The moment I stepped inside, warm lights greeted me.
The house was bright despite the late hour.
Maria's doing.
She always insisted that a home should never feel dark.
After Alicia left, I came to realize something.
Our marriage hadn't contained many happy memories.
Most of the memories involved her trying to make things work...
While I remained indifferent.
And the final months before she disappeared remained some of the most painful memories of my life.
Eventually, I couldn't stay in the old villa anymore.
Every corner reminded me of mistakes I could never undo.
So I moved.
This villa stood in another estate owned by Blackwood Dominion.
Far larger.
Far quieter.
After what happened, I no longer wanted people around me.
Especially not in my personal space.
But Maria refused to let me live like a ghost.
She insisted on hiring additional staff and making the place feel lived in.
