Time passed in agonizing silence.
Anna sat on the edge of the bed, her hands clenched into the silk fabric of her skirt. The grand estate around her had quieted—but not in peace. It was the eerie hush before a storm, thick with tension and barely contained panic.
She had waited. And waited.
For someone to knock. For someone to tell her what was happening.
For any sign of Dara.
But the hours stretched endlessly, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on her until it felt suffocating.
Then—a sound.
Raised voices. A commotion.
Anna’s head snapped up.
Shouting. Footsteps thundering down the hall. Something was happening.
Without a second thought, she rushed to the door, throwing it open and stepping into the hallway.
The atmosphere had shifted completely. Servants whispered frantic
