The group of guests, consisting of one man and two women was welcomed into the grand estate by Mrs. Maddy, the long-serving housekeeper, who led them through the lavish threshold of Arnav’s home. Their footsteps fell quietly against the polished marble floor, though the air around them was thick with judgment, their eyes roaming the opulent space with veiled disdain. When she informed them that Arnav was not at home, he cast her a look of mild protest. It was not the look of a man scolding a servant, but rather that of someone uncertain, quietly pleading for understanding.
The dining room, draped in bold tones of black and gold, stood like a silent monument to Arnav’s meticulous taste. Intimidating and distant. The older man, heavyset and edging into his fifties, wore discomfort like a se
