The summons came through the wall. Vera lay in her own bed, staring at shadows, her body still humming from the garage, when she heard it — a single knock against the shared plaster between their rooms, followed the soft vibration of her phone.
Master suite. Now. —M
She rose, her silk nightgown clinging to damp skin, her heart thumping a rhythm of anticipation and terror.
The hallway stretched before her, moonlight streaming through tall windows, turning the familiar space alien and charged.
Elena's migraine had announced itself at dinner — pale, trembling, her hand pressed to her temple. Marcus had been solicitous, commanding the staff to prepare chamomile and valerian, helping his wife to their room with gentle hands that had hours earlier gripped Vera's throat.
Now Vera stood at t
