Chapter 14 - The Empty Estate
The heavy oak doors of the grand estate creaked open, welcoming Clara and Marcus back into a house that suddenly felt entirely alien. The formal dining room was exactly as they had left it: the shattered wine glass still glittering darkly on the Persian rug, the white envelope resting on the polished mahogany table beneath the harsh glare of the crystal chandelier. But the illusion of grandeur was completely gone. The silence that filled the halls no longer felt aristocratic; it felt like a tomb.
Clara walked slowly toward the table, her burgundy dress dragging slightly across the hardwood floor. She didn't turn on the overhead lights, letting the
[... đã cắt bớt, xem bản đầy đủ trong tệp trên máy ...]
