Chapter 4 — Meeting Oliver—A Gentle Soul

Mia

Mia wandered through the dimly lit halls of the mansion, her footsteps muffled by the thick carpets beneath her boots. The estate was quieter than she had expected, almost eerily so, as if the walls themselves held their breath. She was still reeling from her last encounter with Lucas—the tension between them had lingered, prickling her skin with the residue of unspoken words. He had stormed out of their first interview, leaving her rattled, unsure of where they stood. She had half a mind to leave, too, but something kept her here. Maybe it was stubbornness, maybe it was curiosity, or maybe—though she hated to admit it—it was something deeper, something that tugged at her from the shadows of her own unresolved grief.