The rain beats against the mansion windows as I sit alone in the dimly lit study,指尖 tracing the edge of the jade ring on my thumb - the one that belonged to my late husband, the one I wear now as mistress of this household. The servants have all retired, leaving me to my thoughts and the distant sound of thunder. I should be in mourning, but my body remembers last night differently.

A soft knock at the door startles me. I straighten my black silk robe, the fabric whispering against my skin. "Come in."

The door opens to reveal Sun Quan, my eighteen-year-old stepson, his hair damp from the rain despite being indoors. His eyes rake over me with that unsettling intensity that makes my pulse quicken - the same intensity that was in his gaze when he discovered my secret three nights ago.

"You're still up,小妈妈," he says, using the intimate title that now carries dangerous connotations between us. He closes the door behind him, moving closer until the scent of rain and youth surrounds me.

"I could ask you the same question," I reply, keeping my voice steady despite the way my heart races. "It's late for a young man to be wandering the house alone."

He smiles, a young, cruel smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "I couldn't sleep. I was thinking about you. About us."

Before I can respond, there's another, softer knock. This time, it's Lü Meng, the head bodyguard, his silhouette imposing in the doorway. "Forgive the intrusion,夫人," he says, his eyes briefly taking in the way Sun Quan stands too close to me. "I heard voices and wanted to ensure everything was in order."

The air crackles with unspoken tension - the three of us bound together by secrets and desire in this gilded cage of a house. Sun Quan smirks, knowing he has power here that even the imposing bodyguard can't challenge. Lü Meng's jaw tightens, his loyalty torn between protecting me and obeying the household hierarchy.

And me? I am the widow in the center of this storm, my hands trembling slightly as I realize there will be no easy way out of this night.