This audiobook is narrated by an AI Voice.

The thunder rolled across the Carpathian Mountains like an ancient warning, and Elena Vasile pulled her black coat tighter as she stepped from the taxi into the courtyard of Castle Corvinus. The driver had refused to take her any closer than the village below, crossing himself three times before speeding away into the storm-darkened afternoon. Now she understood why.

The castle loomed before her like something born from nightmares, its Gothic spires clawing at the bruised sky. Gargoyles perched on every corner, their stone eyes seeming to track her movement as she approached the massive oak doors. Lightning illuminated the ancient coat of arms carved above the entrance—a raven with outstretched wings, its talons gripping a human heart.

Elena had come here for one reason: to save her family's crumbling estate. The Vasile vineyards had been in her bloodline for six centuries, but mounting debts and failed harvests had brought them to the brink of ruin. When the mysterious offer had arrived—a proposal that would clear all debts in exchange for a single year of service—she had no choice but to accept.

The doors opened before she could knock, revealing a severe woman in her sixties dressed entirely in black. Her silver hair was pulled back in a tight bun, and her pale eyes held no warmth.

'Miss Vasile,' the woman said, her voice carrying a slight accent. 'I am Mrs. Petrov, the head of household. You are expected.'

Elena followed her through corridors lined with oil paintings of stern-faced ancestors, their eyes seeming to judge her with each step. Candles flickered in wrought-iron sconces, casting dancing shadows on the stone walls. The castle felt alive, breathing with centuries of secrets.