Marian's POV
The sun barely hung in the sky when the knock echoed through the villa. It was sharp, urgent—the kind of knock that made your heart tighten before you even opened the door. I was in the sitting room, trying to sip on my morning coffee, but the bitter liquid had already gone cold in my hands. Sleep hadn't come easily last night. Aiden had been up pacing until dawn, his jaw clenched, his mind miles away.
Summer's accident—her disappearance—was still fresh in the air, thick and heavy like a storm waiting to break. No one had heard from her. No calls. No messages. Just... nothing.
I set my cup down, rising slowly as one of the guards opened the door.
Lucien stepped in, his face pale beneath his usual stoic mask. The air shifted immediately—colder, heavier. My heart started to pound in my chest.
"Aiden," Lucien's voice was low but tense. "We have a problem."
