Theodore returned to Hawthorne Manor as dusk settled over the estate. The place was eerily silent, the servants scurrying out of his path, heads bowed, barely daring to breathe under the weight of his grim expression. He made a beeline for the side courtyard where Lillian once lived—left untouched since she'd vanished, as if it might still hold some faint trace of her presence.
His steps faltered as he passed Sophia's quarters. By his orders, she should've packed her bags and cleared out of Hawthorne Manor days ago. Yet, light spilled from her windows, and the sharp crash of shattering porcelain echoed from within. Theodore's brow furrowed. He started to turn away when a shrill, venomous shout stopped him cold.
"Useless! You can't even handle something this simple?"
The voice was hyster
