The halls stretched wide and imposing, lined in parts with soft brocade carpets that muted every step, while other sections gleamed with polished marble. Pillars rose tall, their surfaces carved with intricate patterns that spoke of painstaking craftsmanship, and above them, ceilings unfurled into sweeping murals, scenes painted with the same grandeur found in ancient castles and old-world châteaux.
But what caught her attention most were the carpets.
Long, winding stretches of them ran through the corridors, rich in color and detail, their patterns unmistakably Persian in origin. Ashley recognized them, or rather, she recognized what they represented. Even a smaller piece of such craftsmanship had once sold for tens of millions. And here, they weren't displayed as rare treasures.
They were used.
