Meeting the Matriarch

It was already evening when the car arrived in Briggston and stopped in a villa.

When Valerie opened her eyes, all she saw was a bamboo forest.

To be more specific, it was an outer courtyard filled with bamboo. There was a pebbled path leading toward the two-storied villa.

When she exited the vehicle, a gust of fresh air swept past her, carrying a faint bamboo fragrance.

I've lived in the heart of