Chapter 1 – Valeria
The study wing is the only place in this house that feels untouched by noise.
I stand between towering shelves of leather-bound books, running my fingers lightly along their spines as I scan titles without really seeing them. Power. Strategy. Economics. War. Influence. My father collects them obsessively—says knowledge is the only weapon no one can take from you.
I believe him.
Still, I don’t pick blindly.
I pull one free, flipping through the pages with practiced ease, skimming paragraphs, dismissing what feels obvious. Most of these books repeat the same ideas in different languages. Men explaining power as if it were something theoretical. Something clean.
It isn’t.
My gaze catches on a single line.
Power does not belong to the strongest man in the room. It belongs to the one who understands what everyone else is willing to lose.
I pause.
Then I read it again.
Slowly this time.
A small, thoughtful hum escapes me before I close the book halfway, considering it. Yes. This one understands something the others don’t.
I tuck it against my chest and step away from the shelf.
The estate is quiet tonight.
Too quiet.
I feel it as I walk. It’s like something subtle, threading through the air.
Pay attention to what changes, he always says. Not what stays the same.
My boots echo on the floor as I move toward the sitting nook tucked into the far corner of the study. The fireplace crackles softly, casting a golden glow that cuts through the cold elegance of the room. Outside the tall windows, snow clings to the grounds in a smooth, untouched blanket.
From here, the estate looks exactly as it should.
Impenetrable.
Beautiful.
Safe.
It always has.
I lower myself into the ??????—my ??????—and let out a quiet breath as I settle in, tucking one leg beneath me. The book rests easily in my hands as I open it again, the pages whispering softly.
This is my favorite place in the entire house.
Not the grand halls. Not the dining rooms filled with men who measure each other with every glance. Not the polished spaces meant to impress guests who pretend not to fear us.
Here, there’s no performance.
Just quiet.
Just control.
