Chapter 187

• The dining hall of the Smith mansion glowed under the warm chandelier light, the polished surface of the table reflecting crystal glasses and silver cutlery. Lewis sat at one side, Arthur beside him, with Evelyn taking her seat across. The room carried the low hum of formality, softened only by Evelyn’s quiet smile in Lewis’s direction.
• Moments later, the sound of heels clicking across the floor broke the quiet. Emma Smith entered—a woman of practiced elegance, her features sharp and her expression unreadable. Trailing behind her was a young man, tall and broad-shouldered, his eyes quick but wary—Ronald, Emma’s twenty-year-old son.
• Arthur rose slightly from his chair, gesturing toward Lewis. “Lewis, may I introduce my wife, Emma, and my son, Ronald?"