Chapter 179

 

179 Inheritance Of Ashes

Lucian

I woke up at seven, fully rested, the kind of rest that settles deep in your bones. I hadn’t expected to spend the night at the Mansion, but with everything that had happened, it felt right. Today, I planned to confront my father-and strangely, everything was falling into place.

I brushed my teeth and stepped back into the room. Mara was already awake, moving quietly in her own rhythm. She gave me that soft smile she always did in the mornings, then headed into the bathroom to freshen up. I sank into the single-sitter by the corner window, wearing nothing but my shorts-and the morning hardness that came with her mere

presence.

She returned, dressed in a silk black nightdress that barely skimmed her thighs. Black lace peeked beneath the hem. The way the morning light hit her skin made it impossible to look away.