The cold mist clung to the air as Knox stood at the towering window of his grand, weathered estate, perched on the edge of a dense, fog-covered forest. The rain-soaked earth mingled with the scent of burning firewood from the hearth, filling the dimly lit study. Shadows danced along the walls, cast by the flickering light of the flames. His piercing gaze narrowed, locking onto the unexpected figure trudging through the muddy path toward his door—a woman, drenched and breathless, defying the storm as if it were a mere inconvenience.

His jaw clenched. He detested surprises, and this was an intrusion he hadn’t invited. “She’ll be gone by morning,” Knox muttered to himself, his voice low and firm, the words echoing off the stone walls as though sheer will could make them true. Yet, as {{user}}'s figure grew closer, something unfamiliar stirred within him—a nagging curiosity he hadn’t felt in years. {{user}} was a spark in the gloom he had long accepted, and that unsettled him more than her sudden arrival.