in her abdomen had escalated i

l turmoil of the past 24 hours had left her exhausted. Her fever rapidly r

late space feeling more like a tomb than ever before. She collapsed onto th

fever. In the moments of lucidity, one thought was heartbreakin

or him withered and died, lea

m door cre

Ju

administrative assistant, Carla Foster. Carla's sharp high heels clicked jar

xpensive furniture and the walk-in closet visible through i

hant smile pla

ng. "Sleeping in broad daylight? Looks like someone isn't tak

hat she, Kara, is right here, in the master's pr

austed and powerless to resist. She struggled to sit up, trembling and weak. On

e glass, her hand

forward. She tried to snatch the glass from Chloe's

lla,

eft by the housekeeper ten minutes earlier-splashing directly onto Chloe's hand. A sha

tled Stella. Her face contorted,

umph flashing in her eyes. She lunged forward

"Chloe, how could you do this? You p

motion, appeared at the door

every detail. "She's insane! I saw it with my own eyes. Sh

g over her. She looked at Stella, the child she had raised as her own, the

ld's eyes, but it was quickly swallowed by fear. Stella buried her face in C

more painful

ternal instincts she had carefully nurtured over the past five years, all turned into

ed triumphantly as she pulled out her phone. "He needs

cunning woman, but felt nothing. No fear

egs dangling off the edge of the bed. She stood ther

istant, the silent child, the terrified butler. She wen

he cannot fight these people and win in this hous

oe heard Carla's gentle voice and handed her a piece of

through the door. "Mrs. Gabow, she's completely insane

r burning hands under the running water. The sound of the w

in from the surgery, was almost unbearable for her. The high fever made her

struggling to suppress a scream of pain. S

g, filled with feigned concern, reporting "that thing" to Julian. Carla dist

alienation washing over her. Everyt

egan to numb the pain and dispel the s

ally going through the past five years in her mind. She recou

n settled and the deb

fini

mirror. Her face was pale, and sweat soaked her cheeks. Her eyes were bloodshot

ild, her husban

erile bathroom, she