Benedict's POV
The suffocating atmosphere inside the estate drove me outdoors where I could finally breathe without tasting the bitter residue of secrets and lies that seemed to coat every surface of our ancestral home. The air outside was crisp, clean, untainted by the web of deceptions that had become my daily reality.
Walking through the manicured gardens, I found myself on the familiar stone pathway that serpentined between carefully tended flower beds. My hands rested casually in my pockets, my posture deliberately relaxed. Anyone observing would see nothing more than a man enjoying a peaceful stroll through his family's grounds.
The facade couldn't have been further from the truth.
