In the grand hall, Mr. Williams and Emily sat on the sofa with their hands tightly clasped, their unease palpable.
The doctor had just descended the stairs and briefed them on Beauty's condition, finally allowing their anxious hearts to settle.
Their expressions flickered with uncertainty, their minds weighed down by dread.
They knew Lucas's temper all too well.
Now that the girl had been hurt under their watch, he'd probably want to skin them alive.
If not for the thin thread of blood tying them together, they might have already been broken into pieces and tossed into the river behind the estate as fish food.
*Thud. Thud. Thud.* Slow, deliberate footsteps descended the staircase, each one tightening the knot in Emily's chest.
Who else could it be but Lucas?
A cold, imposing figure emerged from the corner, his face like frozen steel, his very presence radiating an icy hostility.
His sharp eyes swept over Williams and Emily like blades, stripping them bare.
