Adrian's Pov
The sound of a belt hitting bare skin rang out through the room, followed by Raphael's small, terrified sobs.
"Mommy... please... It hurts... I'm sorry..."
"Shut up! Shut your mouth! Into the cellar! You can stay in the dark until you learn your place!"
Vivian's mouth fell open. The color drained out of her face so fast she looked like a corpse sitting under the harsh fluorescent lights. For three seconds, absolute silence hung in the room.
Then, she snapped.
"That... that proves nothing!" Vivian sputtered out, her voice rising to a high, raspy pitch as her hands shook on the metal table. "That's not me! That audio is fake! It's an AI voice generator! I'm sure Thalia made it! She edited it to make it sound like me! Anyone can make a fake voice recording these days! You
