The next morning.
The Lacy villa.
It was barely past nine o'clock, but the grand living room of the Lacy family estate was already packed. The atmosphere was so heavy it felt like the walls were closing in. Usually, this room was a display of local prestige and arrogant comfort, but today, the cousins, uncles, and aunts sat with faces as haggard and hollow as mourners at a wake. A suffocating silence hung over the crowd, a lingering, persistent despair that seemed to dampen even the morning sunlight streaming through the arched windows.
Finally, a middle-aged uncle broke the silence, his voice a dry rasp. "Did... did Sarah agree to help?"
A cousin sitting across from him shook his head, staring at his shoes. "She said she’d try her best. But she didn't give a guarantee. No promises, no
