This audiobook is narrated by an AI Voice.

The rain hammered against the Gothic windows of Ravencroft Manor like skeletal fingers desperate to claw their way inside. Elena Morrigan stood in the grand foyer, her black coat dripping onto the marble floor as she stared up at the oil painting that dominated the entrance hall. Her great-aunt Cordelia gazed down at her with knowing eyes, a slight smile playing at her lips as if she were privy to some cosmic joke that death had not silenced.

'Miss Morrigan?' The voice belonged to Thomas Hartwell, the estate's solicitor, a thin man whose wire-rimmed spectacles reflected the flickering candlelight. Despite the manor's wealth, the electrical systems had been failing for months, and Cordelia had refused all repairs, claiming she preferred the ambiance of her ancestors.

Elena turned, her dark hair catching the amber glow. 'Yes?'

'I trust you've had time to absorb the terms of the will. The manor, the grounds, and all contents are now yours, with one caveat.' He adjusted his spectacles nervously. 'You must reside here for a full year before you can sell or transfer the property. Miss Ravencroft was quite specific about this condition.'

The woman nodded, though unease coiled in her stomach like a serpent. She had barely known her great-aunt, having met her only twice in her twenty-six years. Yet Cordelia had left her everything, passing over closer relatives with what the family whispered was typical spite.