The charity event ended hours later.
But the way people behaved there stayed in my mind long after we got home.
I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
The way everyone watched Mrs. Walter.
The way they waited for her approval.
The way people almost stepped out of her path when she walked through the room.
It wasn’t normal respect.
It felt closer to… obedience.
The next afternoon, I decided to get out of the house.
Lucas had rugby practice, Adrian had disappeared somewhere on the property, and the estate suddenly felt too quiet again.
So I borrowed one of the bikes near the garage and rode toward town.
The ride took about fifteen minutes.
The town itself looked peaceful.
Small shops.
Tree-lined streets.
People walking slowly along the sidewalks.
Exactly the kind of place my pare
