Chapter 9

• The door to the estate creaked open, and in walked Joshua, Lucy, and his mother, Karen. The air inside the house felt different, thick with tension, as if something heavy hung over the space. The three exchanged uncertain glances as they stepped inside, each one sensing that something had gone wrong.
• "Mother, what happened?" Lucy asked, her voice a mix of confusion and concern. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed the faint red mark on Rita's cheek. "Why are your cheeks red?"
• Rita sat stiffly on the couch, her hand still resting against her face, glaring in the direction of the stairs that led to Amara's room. She looked furious, but there was a flicker of something else in her eyes, something that resembled fear.