Chapter 31 Chapter Thirty One

• The sound of the maids' footsteps echoed faintly through the hallway, followed by the distant call of morning crows. It stirred Cynthia from her deep sleep. Her eyes fluttered open, but everything was blurry for a moment—colors melting into one another. As her vision slowly cleared, she realized she was back in her room.
• She blinked at the ceiling, then turned her head slowly toward the wall clock—it was already past 9 a.m. A wave of confusion washed over her. She couldn't recall anything that happened the night before. Her gaze drifted from the clock to the breakfast tray on the table, where a folded note sat beside it. That must be the work of her ever-invisible maid again.
• She pushed herself out of bed, legs wobbly beneath her, and walked unsteadily to the note.