Chapter 63

The garden sprawled across the mansion grounds, stretching from the main gates to the ornate fountain at the property's edge. A sea of emerald grass rolled outward in every direction, broken by winding stone paths that curved between meticulously arranged flower beds. Crimson roses dominated the eastern beds with their heavy blooms drooping over copper borders, while clusters of white lilies and purple irises created geometric patterns in the western part. Japanese maples dotted the landscape at careful intervals, providing pockets of shade across the grounds.

The air is filled with the mingled scents of jasmine and lavender, the latter growing in dense patches along the garden's northern wall. Climbing vines, ivy and wisteria, wrapped around white marble trellises as their purple flowers cascading down like frozen waterfalls.