Freida stared at the stack of papers spread across her desk, but the words blurred together. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't focus.
Her gaze kept drifting toward the window, her thoughts wandering to the same person they had for days.
Her son.
He had disappeared without a trace several days ago. The guards assigned to protect him were missing as well. No reports. No bodies. No clues.
Nothing.
She didn't even know if he was still alive.
The uncertainty gnawed at her heart far more cruelly than any confirmed tragedy ever could.
Knock. Knock.
The sudden sound shattered the heavy silence of the room.
"Enter," Freida commanded, though tension already coiled tightly in her chest.
The door opened, and one of the family guards hurried inside. He dropped to one knee, his voice trembling with urgency.
"Matriarch… the young master has returned!"
For a brief second, Freida simply stared at him, as if her mind refused to process the words.
Then, her eyes widened.
