The gates loomed ahead like silent sentinels. Maya’s car pulled to a gentle stop, the tires crunching over white gravel. Her eyes lifted to take in the vast estate—an architectural marvel with grand white walls, towering pillars, and rows of trimmed hedges flanking the long driveway. It looked less like a home and more like a palace out of a fairytale. Only this one didn’t promise any magic.

Her fingers tightened on the strap of her purse. For a second, her nerves whispered that she didn’t belong here. Then she inhaled deeply and reminded herself: she wasn’t the old Maya anymore. She had survived betrayal, loss, and heartbreak. She was...