Before Leo could gather his thoughts, Jacob had already ushered him through the towering entrance of the opulent villa.
The interior was even more dazzling than he could have imagined. Polished marble floors gleamed beneath golden chandeliers. Intricate mouldings lined the high ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling windows bathed the space in soft, ethereal light. The furniture was antique yet pristine, arranged with an effortless elegance that screamed wealth and power.
Leo's wide, dark eyes flitted from one corner of the villa to another, drinking in every extravagant detail. He had never seen anything like it.
Uniformed servants stood silently along the walls like statues, their eyes downcast, expressions unreadable. The stillness of the space added to its overwhelming grandeur.
Suddenly, Leo found himself scooped off the ground and plopped unceremoniously onto a velvet-upholstered sofa. He blinked, startled, as Jacob turned and walked off without another word.