Rose got to work early that morning. Lucas wasn’t home. The mansion felt larger than usual, silent except for the faint hum of the air conditioning. She tied her hair up and began her chores, starting from the kitchen, wiping every corner and polishing every surface until it sparkled. She moved to the living room, then his office, dusting his desk carefully so as not to disturb the neat arrangement of files.
Hours later, after the entire mansion gleamed, she finally sat down to rest. The silence pressed against her ears, so she switched on the TV and picked a random movie. She sank into the sofa and began to relax for the first time that morning.
Then her phone rang.
The screen flashed a name that made her entire body go cold — Leo.
Her throat tightened, her fingers trembling as she st
