Mr. Black woke to the pale morning light filtering through the heavy curtains of his bedroom. For a moment, everything felt normal, the stillness of the mansion familiar and almost comforting.
But something was off-an unease crept over him, a nagging sense that something had gone wrong. It had been there since the night before, the argument still fresh in his mind.
He had been too harsh, too cold with her. His frustration with Sophia had spilled out in ways he hadn't meant. He knew he was pushing her too hard, but it wasn't out of cruelty. It was something he couldn't quite explain, something deeper that gnawed at him every time he saw her.
Why had he reacted like that?
He sat up in bed, running a hand through his tousled hair. His chest felt tight, guilt slowly rising like a
