The mansion felt different that morning. The air was heavy, the silence sharp, and every maid in the house moved on tiptoe. Nathaniel had gone to work, leaving Cassandra fully in charge, and she was not wasting the chance.
She stood in the grand living room, her eyes cold as she scanned the line of maids standing before her. They looked nervous, afraid of what she would say next.
“You all listen carefully,” Cassandra began, her voice sharp like glass. “Things have changed in this mansion. From today, I am in charge here. I don’t want to hear Savannah’s name in this house again. That woman is gone, and she is never coming back.”
The maids glanced at one another but quickly looked down again when Cassandra’s eyes narrowed.
She continued, “When I wake up, my breakfast must already
