The morning sun was golden and ruthless, spilling through the high windows of the master bath as steam curled around Maddie’s bare shoulders. She stood beneath the rainfall showerhead, eyes closed, letting the hot water kiss her skin, rinse away…

A light rain had started to fall as Evelyn pulled onto the winding gravel road leading to Jack Johnson’s cabin. The rhythmic hiss of the tires on wet stone mirrored the unease in her chest. She hadn’t planned on coming…

The house slept restlessly. Lights dimmed. Rooms quiet. Even the breeze through the hallway windows moved slower, as though the building itself was holding its breath. Maddie stood by her vanity, brushing her hair with slow, meditative strokes. The pale…

The sun was setting behind the pines, casting golden light across the estate, the kind of late-afternoon haze that made everything feel cinematic—slow, luxurious, charged. Maddie stood barefoot on the balcony in nothing but a slate-gray silk robe, loosely knotted, hair…

The storm had passed, leaving behind a low mist that curled around the trees like secrets not quite ready to be spoken. Inside Jack’s cabin, the fire crackled, casting long, golden shadows across the worn wood floors and knotty pine…