Chapter 23 Unmasking The Shadows

• The silence of Blackwood Manor felt suffocating as the night stretched on, the shadows of the ancient walls seeming to close in with every passing second. The flickering of candlelight cast unsettling shapes across the grand hallway, and Sophia could feel the weight of Adrian’s tense silence beside her as they moved toward the west wing.
• She clung to his arm, the chill of the evening air creeping under her skin, amplifying the fear that had been building ever since the moment they had heard the first crash earlier. Her heart thudded in her chest, its erratic beat mirroring the urgency of the situation. What kind of game were they playing now?
• Adrian's grip on his gun was steady, his movements precise as they moved through the manor. His face remained a mask of determination, but she could see the strain in his eyes—an anxiety that only grew with every step they took deeper into the darkness of Blackwood Manor.