Jeremy’s POV
I return to the mansion for the second time with a different weight on my shoulders. The first visit, I had come alone, silent halls swallowing my steps, the place feeling more like a mausoleum than a home as I put things in place for my mother's return.
This time, Claire walks beside me, and Daniel pads along at our knees, his small hand holding mine, his action figure toy in the other. The security presence hums low and constant, boots soft against marble, eyes alert. It reassures me and irritates me all at once. This is my childhood home, and nothing feels homey about it.
Why hadn’t I ever noticed it before?
Because I had called ahead, my mother waited in the sitting room, propped carefully, skin pale, but her grey eyes still sharp enough to cut. Her gaze lands on me fi
