The next day passed quietly at first. I stayed in my room most of the morning.
Around noon, Mrs. Hale came to tell me that Sebastian Draven had arrived again. This was his third visit. I felt a small warmth in my chest. At least someone in this house acted kind to me.
I went downstairs to the living room. Sebastian stood near the window, looking tall and handsome like his son, but his face was much warmer. When he saw me, he smiled big.
“Aurora, my dear daughter-in-law,” he said, opening his arms. He gave me a gentle hug. “You look beautiful today. How have you been?”
I smiled back without thinking. “Thank you, Sebastian. I’m… okay.”
Lucian was already there. His face looked hard, and his eyes followed every move I made. He didn’t say anything at first.
We sat on the sofa. Sebastian
