Lana found the envelope tucked between two books in Grey’s private library — one she’d never noticed before.It didn’t look new. The paper had yellowed around the edges, its seal broken. But it was the name written across the front that stopped her breath cold:“Lana Thompson.”Not Rey.Not anonymous.Thompson.Her knees buckled slightly as she sank into the leather armchair, tearing it open with trembling hands. Inside was a photograph. Old, scratched at the corners. A woman holding a baby. The woman was young, beautiful — and unmistakably familiar.Lana had never seen her before.And yet, she knew her.Behind them stood a man. Face shadowed. Only the curve of his jaw and the glint of a ring on his finger were visible. But something about his posture sent a chill crawling up Lana’s spine.A folded document slipped out with the photo.She unfolded it slowly.A birth certificate.Name: Lana ThompsonMother: Elise WrenFather: [Redacted]Place of Birth: Hudson River Estate, NYDate: Mar

The name hit Grey like a blow to the ribs.His mother had been dead for over a decade. He’d stood over her casket, felt the cold finality of the moment. So either this was an elaborate game, or someone had just detonated the past in his face.The man didn’t wait for an invitation. He stepped inside, closing the door softly behind him as if he already belonged in the room. His shoes didn’t even squeak on the marble — expensive leather, broken in. Everything about him spoke of precision.“I was told,” the man said, “to deliver this directly into your hands. And to tell you — you’d know the truth when you read it.”Grey took the envelope but didn’t open it. His eyes stayed locked on the man. “And who told you that?”“I already answered that.” The stranger’s gaze flicked briefly toward Lana. “I wasn’t informed you’d have company.”Lana didn’t move from the doorway, but the weight of his look pressed on her like a hand on the back of her neck.“Maybe you should tell us your name,” she said

The first light of morning spilled through the heavy velvet curtains, a pale gold that softened the cold edges of the Thompson estate. Outside, the grounds were still slick with last night’s rain, the air sharp and clean, as though the storm had scoured away every trace of dust and sound.Lana stood by the tall window, her hands cupped around the porcelain warmth of her tea. She could still smell the faint trace of woodsmoke on her clothes from the cabin — that single, flickering fire they had kept through the long hours of thunder and wind. It was strange, how quickly the world could change. One night of isolation, of whispered words and careful silences, and now they were back inside walls lined with chandeliers and old oil paintings that seemed to watch her every move.She heard the faint creak of the door behind her and didn’t need to turn to know it was Grey. There was something distinct about his presence — not just the sound of his footsteps, but the way the air seemed to tight

The rain had stopped by evening, leaving the Thompson estate wrapped in a damp hush. The air smelled faintly of moss and wet stone, and the last of the storm clouds dragged themselves away across a bruised sky. In the library, firelight cast a low amber glow over the walls, where the leather-bound books stood in regimented silence.Lana sat on the edge of the chaise, her knees drawn slightly together, fingers curled around the delicate stem of a wineglass she’d barely touched. Across from her, Grey leaned against the mantel, the flames painting his profile in shifting light. Between them, resting on the low table, lay the locket.She hadn’t expected him to bring it out again. Since finding it that morning, he had kept it close, as though the small tarnished thing could burn him if left unattended.“It’s old,” she said softly, almost to herself. “Older than you, older than me… but it feels alive somehow.”Grey’s gaze didn’t leave the locket. “It was my mother’s. She never spoke much ab

The rain began before they reached the motorcar, fat drops darkening the gravel. Grey tossed their satchels in the back without a word, his jaw tight.Lana sat in the passenger seat with the envelope in her lap. It felt heavier than paper should — as though it carried weight in more ways than one.“You’re not going to let me open it?” she asked finally, watching him as he started the engine.“Not until we’re somewhere safer,” he said, eyes fixed ahead.She arched a brow. “And what qualifies as safer? Because given recent events, I’m starting to think such a place doesn’t exist.”Grey’s mouth twitched — not quite a smile, but something close. “Somewhere with a door that locks, at the very least.”The rain blurred the landscape into grey streaks as they drove. Lana kept her fingers curled around the envelope, feeling every ridge of the ink spelling her name. Whoever had written it had pressed the pen hard enough to indent the paper.By the time they reached the Thompson estate, the down