Page 82 of Knot Heirs: Serenity's Reign

"What he means," Lucian stage-whispered to Serenity, "is that he's a control freak who paradoxically lives in a pigsty."

"At least my books aren't color-coded," Darius shot back.

"They're organized by subject, then chronologically, with special collections set apart for—" Lucian caught himself, then smirked. "Point taken."

Serenity moved to a wall covered in framed photographs—architectural marvels from around the world, each captured from unusual angles that highlighted their most striking features. "You took these?" she asked Darius.

He nodded, joining her. "Architecture is the perfect marriage of art and function. Each building tells a story about its creator's vision and the society that produced it."

As he spoke about the photographs, his voice lost its guarded edge. Serenity found herself drawn to this version of Darius—passionate, knowledgeable, his gray eyes alight with genuine enthusiasm. It made her wonder what other facets of himself he kept hidden behind his intimidating exterior.

Stop it, she warned herself.Don't humanize him. Don't forget what he is.

But it was too late. She'd glimpsed something beneath the surface of the dangerous alpha, something that complicated her neat categorization of him as merely a potential threat or tool.

"We should continue," Lucian interrupted, and Serenity caught a flash of something in his eyes—jealousy? Impatience? "Ronan's waiting."

"Of course," Darius said, the professional mask slipping back into place so quickly it was as if the other Darius had never existed. "Ms. Vale, after you."

As they left Darius's domain, Serenity felt unsettled. The complexity of these men—their private passions, their obvious intelligence, the way they moved between ruthlessness and unexpected vulnerability—made her task both more difficult and more intriguing.

They're just alphas, she reminded herself.Powerful, dangerous alphas who want something from you. Don't forget that.

The corridor curved, leading them deeper into the estate. Lucian and Darius flanked her, their powerful presences making the spacious hallway feel suddenly confining. Her omega senses registered their proximity with hyperawareness—Lucian's subtle scent of old books and citrus to her left, Darius's spiced cedar to her right.

"Ronan's wing has a... different aesthetic," Lucian said as they approached a set of dark wooden doors. "Less refined, more..."

"Authentic," Darius finished for him. "Ronan

The corridor curved, leading them deeper into the estate. Lucian and Darius flanked her, their powerful presences making the spacious hallway feel suddenly confining. Her omega senses registered their proximity with hyperawareness—Lucian's subtle scent of old books and citrus to her left, Darius's spiced cedar to her right.

"Ronan's wing has a... different aesthetic," Lucian said as they approached a set of dark wooden doors. "Less refined, more..."

"Authentic," Darius finished for him. "Ronan has never pretended to be anything but exactly what he is."

Serenity wandered through Ronan's domain, taking in the rugged masculinity of the space—the worn leather furniture that looked broken in rather than broken down, vintage car models displayed alongside what appeared to be actual artifacts from different eras. The scent of aged whiskey permeated the air, not unpleasantly, but as a statement of character.

Unlike the other wings, Ronan's felt lived in. While Lucian's space was a carefully maintained testament to knowledge and Darius's revealed glimpses of the man beneath the polished facade, Ronan's quarters made no apologies for who he was.

Serenity trailed her fingers across the spines of vinyl records organized in wooden crates, noticing they were alphabetized. So the chaos was controlled after all.

"You approve?" Ronan's deep voice startled her from behind.

Serenity turned, maintaining her composure despite the surprise. "It suits you."

"And what exactly do you think suits me, little omega?" His smile wasn't mocking but genuinely curious.

"Authenticity," she replied, borrowing Darius's word. "There's nothing pretentious here. It's exactly what it appears to be."Unlike its owner, she thought, knowing there was far more to Ronan than the brutish enforcer he sometimes portrayed.

Ronan nodded slowly, appreciation flickering in his eyes. "Most people see the leather and whiskey and think 'typical alpha.' They miss the details."

"I'm not most people," Serenity said, spotting a well-worn copy of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations on his nightstand.

A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "No, you're definitely not."

After the full tour, Serenity found herself standing in the center of what appeared to be her own suite—a neutral territory connecting to all three alpha wings. The room was impeccably decorated in soothing tones of cream and sage, with a massive bed that dominated the space. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a view of the estate's grounds, the bulletproof glass a subtle reminder of why she was here.

A beautiful cage is still a cage, she thought, gazing out at the perfectly manicured lawn bordered by dense forest.

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