The gates opened without a loud cranky sound.
The car rolled into a compound so vast it felt like stepping into another world .... floodlights cutting through manicured darkness, stone paths winding between low stone walls, the kind of security that didn't need to announce itself to tell you that this place was heavily guarded. The mansion rose ahead like something carved from night itself, all dark wood and warm amber windows.
Pepper pressed her small face to the glass, eyes wide. "Big house…"
Alex managed a tired smile, brushing a hand over her hair. "Yeah, baby. Very big."
The front doors swung open before they even killed the engine.
And there he was.
Midnight.
Towering. Brown-skinned. Built like a god who'd decided to walk among mortals he had broad shoulders, thick arms rolled up at the sleeves, the kind of quiet power that made the air feel heavier just by standing there. His presence swallowed the space around him.
His eyes found Alex immediately.
"Alex."
