Chapter 20: Moonlit Whispers

Dusk fell like silk over the city, soft and dusky and humming with secrets. The skyline shimmered with amber and violet hues, the last whispers of sunlight fading behind the rooftops. Emma stood before the wrought-iron gates of Jonathan’s estate, her breath catching in her throat as the mansion rose like a cathedral of shadows before her. Ivy climbed its stone walls, windows aglow with golden light, as if the house itself anticipated her arrival.

Her fingers brushed the gate as it creaked open at her approach. No sound but the wind stirred gentle, cool, and fragrant with lilacs. She stepped through, her footsteps sure despite the quickening of her pulse.