The Descartes family estate occupied the northern quarter of Qara City's elite district—a sprawling compound that was less a residence and more a fortified statement of power. Riyan sat in one of the estate's private study rooms, a space designed for quiet contemplation and strategic planning, though at the moment it felt more like a cage. He'd been staying here for three days now, ever since his mother had begun the complex political maneuvering required to secure Fers Domain and those four critical territories.
Three days of proximity to both Riya and Syra. Three days of carefully managed interactions, calculated distance, and the exhausting mental gymnastics required to maintain normalcy while hiding secrets that could shatter the fragile equilibrium of his family.
