ALEX.
I woke up earlier than usual, the way I always did on days we had activities planned. My body had learned the rhythm of the house: before the twins’ excited footsteps, before Edmund’s gentle knock, before the mansion truly came alive. I slipped out of bed quietly, already running through the plan in my head: hot cocoa afterward, the craft table by the windows, making sure Sophie and Lucas each felt equally included. I liked the order of it. It gave me purpose. It kept my thoughts from wandering to places I didn’t want to sit with for too long.
I had just finished pulling on a sweater when a knock sounded at my door.
It sounded nothing like Edmund’s.
When I opened it, Madam Katarina stood there, perfectly composed, dressed as though she were attending a formal luncheon instead of
