The morning after the charity gala, Blackwood Manor was unusually quiet.
The headlines had already spread across the country.
BLACKWOOD HEIR DEFENDS HIS WIFE.
OLIVIA STERLING UNDER INVESTIGATION AFTER GALA SCANDAL.
WHO IS THE MYSTERIOUS MAN WHO APPROACHED MRS. BLACKWOOD?
Elara sat alone in the manor's library, the old photograph resting on the polished wooden table before her.
She had spent most of the night staring at it.
The smiling faces.
Her father's gentle expression.
Her mother's warm smile.
And herself...
A little girl who had no idea how complicated her future would become.
Her fingers brushed against the edge of the photograph.
"There has to be something I'm missing..."
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.
Mrs. Hayes entered carrying a tray with freshly brewed tea
