Chapter 6 - Shadows Over the Dinner Table
By afternoon,
the news of Victoria’s arrest and the miraculous return of Evelyn Vance had shattered the high-society circles.
Reporters gathered at the iron gates of the estate,
their camera flashes blinking incessantly through the rain.
Inside the mansion,
the atmosphere was quiet,
healed yet fragile.
Evelyn had changed out of her maid’s uniform into a soft wool sweater and trousers.
She sat at the long dining table,
the same table where only hours ago she had been kneeling on the floor in tears.
Andrew sat beside her,
his hand resting over hers,
refusing to break physical contact even for a moment.
“It feels like I’ve been living in a dark tunnel for three years,”
Evelyn said softly,
staring at the crystal chandelier above.
“Every morning I woke up in that hospital,
I felt like half of my heart was missing,
but I didn’t know why.”
Andrew raised her hand to his lips,
kissing her palm gently.
“I should have looked harder,”
he said,
his voice heavy with guilt.
“I should have known that body wasn’t yours.
I failed you,
Evelyn.”
“No,”
Evelyn said firmly,
looking directly into his eyes.
“Victoria deceived all of us.
She used our trust,
our grief,
and our love to build a trap.
But she failed,
Andrew.
Because love remembers.”
The door to the dining room opened,
and the butler entered carrying a tray of warm tea and soup.
The old butler had tears in his eyes as he placed the tray on the table.
“Welcome home,
Mrs. Vance,”
the butler said with a deep,
respectful bow.
“The house has been dark without you.”
Evelyn smiled,
a genuine,
warm smile that illuminated her whole face.
“Thank you,
Thomas,”
she replied softly.
“It’s good to be home.”
However,
the peace was suddenly interrupted by the sharp ringing of the main house telephone.
Thomas picked up the receiver near the wall,
listened for a few seconds,
and then looked toward Andrew with a grave expression.
“Mr. Vance,”
Thomas said nervously.
“It’s the police department.
Victoria is demanding to speak with you from the holding cell.
May you like
She says...
she says she has hidden something in the house that will destroy everything if you don’t meet her.”
