Chapter 2: The Departure into the Snow
Evelyn did not pack her coat; she simply grabbed her leather handbag from the entryway bench and threw the heavy oak front door open, letting a bitter gust of winter wind whip through the quiet hallway. Her dark hair was slightly disheveled from the slap, and her velvet top seemed to absorb the dim amber light of the foyer as she turned back to glare at Julian and Clara one last time. "You will regret this," Evelyn hissed, her voice dripping with a cold menace that sent a shiver down Clara's spine. "You think you protect your little family, Julian? You don't even know what secrets are hiding under your own roof." With that dramatic exit, she slammed the door shut, leaving the heavy latch to rattle in its frame. Inside the warm dining room, Julian exhaled a long, ragged breath and slumped into one of the high-backed chairs, burying his face in his hands. The candle on the white dinner plate finally sputtered out, leaving a thin wisp of grey smoke curling up toward the ceiling. Clara gently carried Leo toward the kitchen, soothing the baby until his eyelids grew heavy and he drifted off to sleep against her chest. When she returned to the dining room, Julian was staring blankly at the untouched roast turkey on the table. "We need to talk about her," Clara said softly, her voice steady now, devoid of fear. Julian looked up, his eyes bloodshot and troubled. He admitted that he had not spoken to Evelyn in over five years, ever since a bitter dispute over their grandfather’s estate divided the family. He had invited her tonight only to keep the peace for his ailing mother’s sake, a decision he now deeply regretted. Clara sat across from him, realizing that Evelyn's parting words were not just empty threats born of humiliation. There was a deliberate warning in her tone, a hidden knowledge that suggested Evelyn knew something vital about Julian’s past, or perhaps about the very house they lived in. The holiday dinner was officially over, but the investigation into their own lives was only just beginning.
