Leon and His Stepmother
The big house looked dark from the outside, only dimly lit by a few night lights on the terrace and in the corridor.
Leon parked his motorbike in the side garage, his breath quick with anticipation. He took the spare key from his pocket and carefully opened the side door of the house—the key creaked softly, but the house was silent, only the sound of the night wind and the chirping of crickets in the back garden.
Mbok Siti must have already been asleep in her room at the back, and the other maids had gone home early. Leon slipped inside, his footsteps light on the cold marble floor, the familiar scent of the house—a mixture of old wood and Sonya's perfume—welcoming him.