Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: Stepping into the Shadows**

The evening air was thick with tension as Erica returned to her home. She slipped in through the back, careful to avoid any attention from the staff, the nurse, or worse—Julian’s men. She wasn’t ready to explain what she’d been doing or where she had gone. Not yet.

Inside, the house was quiet. Only the soft hum of distant voices drifted in from the kitchen where the nurse and a maid were exchanging pleasantries. Erica walked past them with a calm, deliberate pace, her mind still racing from her discovery. Ophelia had been involved with her father’s dealings. That knowledge had shaken her, but it had also given her direction.

She stepped into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. The darkness felt heavy, but she didn’t turn on the light. Instead, she crossed the room and opened the window, letting the cool night breeze sweep over her. Her mind was sharper now, clearer than it had been in days. She knew what had to be done, but there were s