Shadows and Secrets
The mansion slept, but Kristen couldn’t.
Even though she lay in the softest bed money could buy, surrounded by silence and shadows, her mind was restless. The words Carlo had spat earlier still echoed in her head—sharp and cutting.
Every breath she took reminded her of how trapped she was. Every pulse of pain from her ankle reminded her of hard she'd fallen. She wasn’t just angry. She wasn’t just afraid. She was curious.
Something had changed in him. It wasn’t just hatred. It was deeper. Sharper. Personal. She had to know why.
And somewhere in this house, the answer was waiting.
Kristen sat up slowly, careful not to let the bed creak. The clock on the wall ticked past two in the morning. She reached for her crutches, her muscles tense as she placed her feet on the cool wooden floor.
The hallway was dim. Only a few lamps were left on, casting a soft orange glow along the floorboards. The whole house was quiet, as if holding its secrets tight between its walls.
Krist
