CHAPTER 003

Violet POV

The smell of pancakes woke me before the sun did.

For a moment, I thought I was dreaming. I lay still beneath my blanket, listening. Plates clinked together downstairs. Someone hummed softly in the kitchen. Butter sizzled on a hot pan.

It had been years since this house had sounded... peaceful.

I frowned. Mrs. Ellis usually prepared breakfast in silence. Curiosity pulled me out of bed. By the time I reached the dining room, I stopped so abruptly that my fingers tightened around the banister.

Helena was setting the table. Not giving orders. Not criticizing anyone. Setting the table herself.

She looked up as though she'd been expecting me. "There you are."

Her voice was warm. Warm. I couldn't remember the last time she'd spoken to me like that.

"I... didn't realize breakfast was ready."

"It is now." She pulled out a chair. "Sit."

I stared at her. Behind her, Ivy and Jade exchanged a quick glance before lowering their eyes. Neither of them laughed. Neither of them made one of their usual cruel remarks. The silence unsettled me more than their insults ever had.

Slowly, I sat down. Helena placed a plate in front of me. Golden pancakes drizzled with honey. Fresh strawberries. Scrambled eggs. My favorite breakfast. My stomach tightened.

"I thought..." I began carefully.

"You thought I'd forgotten?" A faint smile touched her lips. "I haven't."

She poured tea into a delicate porcelain cup before placing it beside my plate. "You've been through a great deal these past few years."

I looked at her, convinced I'd misheard.

"I know I haven't always been fair to you."

The words settled over the room like fresh snow. Mrs. Ellis nearly dropped the serving spoon. Even Ivy looked surprised.

Helena sighed. "When your father died, everything changed." She folded her hands together. "I was grieving."

"So were you." Her eyes met mine. "I should have remembered that."

Something inside my chest shifted. For years, I had imagined hearing those words. Not because they would erase everything. Nothing could erase years of loneliness. But because they meant she had finally seen me.

"I'm... sorry too," I whispered.

"I know things haven't always been easy." Helena reached across the table. Her hand rested gently over mine. "I'm sorry, Violet."

The warmth of her touch felt unfamiliar. I wanted to pull away. Instead, I found myself holding still. Perhaps people really could change.

Perhaps yesterday's argument with Victor had frightened her. Perhaps losing everything had reminded her what truly mattered. Family.

Hope fluttered inside me before I could stop it. She squeezed my hand once before letting go. "Eat before it gets cold."

For the first time in years, breakfast passed without a single insult.

The change continued. Throughout the morning Helena didn't assign me endless chores. Instead, she asked Mrs. Ellis to finish the cleaning. "You should rest today," she told me. "You've earned it."

Earned it. The words echoed in my head long after she'd walked away.

I wandered through the gardens in a daze. The roses had begun blooming despite the neglect surrounding the estate.

Their sweet fragrance drifted through the morning breeze. Maybe this was the beginning of something better.

Maybe my father's dream of this family hadn't disappeared completely.

By afternoon, Helena knocked softly on my bedroom door. "May I come in?"

I blinked. She had never asked permission before. "Of course."

She entered carrying a large cream-colored box tied with a satin ribbon. "I found something." She placed it carefully on my bed.

Confused, I untied the ribbon. Inside lay the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. Soft lavender silk shimmered beneath the afternoon sunlight pouring through my window.

Tiny pearls decorated the sleeves. The skirt flowed like water beneath my fingertips.

"It's beautiful," I whispered.

"It was your mother's."My breath caught. I looked up sharply. "You kept it?"

"I couldn't bear to throw it away." Helena smiled sadly. "I thought... perhaps you should have it."

My eyes burned. For years I'd believed every belonging that reminded me of my mother had disappeared forever. I gently lifted the dress from its box. The fabric felt impossibly soft.

"It fits your birthday."

"My birthday..."

"You're turning twenty tomorrow." She stepped closer. "You deserve something beautiful."

Emotion tightened my throat. No one had said those words to me since my father died. No one.

"Thank you." The words came out barely above a whisper.

She brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "I hope one day you'll forgive me." Before I could answer, she quietly left the room.

I remained standing there long after the door closed. Mrs. Ellis found me an hour later still holding the dress.

"It's lovely," she said gently.

"It belonged to my mother."

"I know." She smiled. "Your father loved seeing her wear lavender."

I laughed softly through unexpected tears. "I almost can't believe today."

Mrs. Ellis hesitated. "So much changes overnight." The smile faded from her face almost as quickly as it had appeared. "Sometimes..."

She stopped herself.

"What?"

"Nothing." She shook her head. "I'm only an old woman worrying too much."

Yet as she left, I noticed her glance toward the hallway. Toward Helena's room. Her expression carried a quiet unease that settled heavily in my chest.

As evening approached, the mansion transformed. Candles were lit throughout the dining room. Fresh flowers decorated the center of the long table. Crystal glasses sparkled beneath the chandelier. The house looked almost as it had before my father's death.

Helena appeared wearing an elegant navy dress. Ivy and Jade looked unusually cheerful. When they saw me wearing my mother's lavender gown, both of them smiled. Actually smiled.

"You look beautiful," Jade said.

I stared at her. She laughed softly. "What?"

"I've never heard you compliment me."

"Well..." She shrugged. "Maybe it's time things changed."

I couldn't find the words to respond.

Helena entered carrying a bottle of wine. "I thought we'd celebrate together tonight."

"What are we celebrating?" I asked.

She smiled. "Tomorrow begins a new chapter for all of us."

The words sounded hopeful. I wanted to believe them.

Dinner was warm and surprisingly pleasant. They asked me about books. About university. About the future. Helena even laughed when I shared a childhood memory involving my father. For the first time in years, I didn't feel like an unwanted guest. I felt home.

When dessert arrived, Helena personally poured tea into everyone's cup. She handed mine to me with another gentle smile. "To new beginnings."

"To new beginnings," Ivy echoed.

Our cups touched lightly. I took a sip. The tea tasted slightly bitter. Perhaps it was a different blend.

Conversation continued. Jade spoke about traveling. Helena discussed repairing the estate once the financial troubles passed. I listened with cautious optimism. Maybe everything truly could change.

Halfway through my cup, my fingers twitched. The porcelain rattled softly against its saucer. I frowned. My heartbeat suddenly felt strange. Too fast. The room blurred for just a second before sharpening again. I blinked hard.

"Are you alright?" Helena asked.

"I..." My tongue felt unusually heavy. "I'm just... tired."

Another wave of dizziness crashed over me. The chandelier overhead seemed to sway. No. Not the chandelier. The room.

My hand slipped from the table. The teacup shattered across the floor.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled automatically. The words barely sounded like mine.

Someone laughed. Soft. Cruel. Jade.

Fear crept through the fog filling my mind. I pushed back my chair, trying to stand. My knees buckled. The floor rushed toward me. I caught myself on trembling hands.

Something was terribly wrong. My breathing grew shallow. The edges of my vision darkened.

"No..." I whispered.

I tried to crawl away from the table. My arms barely obeyed. Each movement felt slower than the last.

Behind me, another voice spoke. Cold. Calm. "She's finally asleep."

Ivy.

My blood turned to ice. Not asleep. Drugged. The realization struck too late.

I forced my head up. Helena stood over me. The warmth from earlier had vanished completely. Her face was unreadable. Almost detached.

She knelt beside me and gently brushed my hair away from my face. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

Tears spilled down my cheeks. "W...why..."

The word refused to form properly. She didn't answer. Instead, she reached into a nearby drawer and removed a coil of thick rope.

My eyes widened. No. Please.

I tried to pull away. My arms refused to cooperate. My legs felt as though they belonged to someone else. I could only watch.

Helena lifted my wrists with surprising tenderness. Then she wrapped the rope around them. Once. Twice. Three times. The fibers bit into my skin.

I struggled weakly. It made no difference.

Jade crouched beside me. "I told you she'd believe anything."

Ivy laughed. "She always does."

My vision blurred behind fresh tears. Every smile. Every apology. Every kind word. It had all been a lie.

Helena tightened the final knot before resting one hand against my cheek. Her fingers were warm. The gesture almost motherly. That somehow hurt the most.

"I'm truly sorry, Violet."

Darkness pressed against the corners of my vision. Her voice grew farther away. Softer. Almost gentle.

"Forgive me... you're the only thing we have left to sell."