Chapter 142

Emma's POV

I was stunned into silence as we ascended a sweeping stone staircase to the entrance. My heart sank further with each step, the sheer scale of the home pressing down on me. The interior was as grand as the exterior—marble floors, high ceilings adorned with intricate moldings, and expansive rooms that seemed to stretch endlessly. The grandeur, while impressive, felt cold and unwelcoming. It was more hotel than home, a stark contrast to the warmth and intimacy I yearned for.

But it was huge, the sort of place that would take a small army to run and maintain it and I hated it for that reason.

We were standing at the bottom of the curved stone steps.

Ryan’s gaze was expectant, hopeful even, as we stood at the base of the grand staircase. "Well? What do you think?"

The interior was larger than life and looked like a hotel itself, and it was not at all cozy.

I hesitated, my mind racing. "Why are you asking me?" I managed, my voice tinged with unease.

"Isn’t it obvious, love?"