Elena’s Pov

The car slowed.

I felt the change before I saw it,the soft deceleration, the shift in the engine’s quiet hum, the way the light through the tinted windows altered as tall gates and then dense hedges replaced the ordinary New York streets. My hands rested in my lap. The engagement ring sat cool against one finger. The silver bracelet rested against the other wrist, blue stone quiet, initials private. I had not taken it off. Not once since the afternoon before. The metal had warmed to my skin during the drive, becoming almost a second pulse.

The driver opened my door.

I stepped out.

The Carter estate rose...