Zeke walked lazily down the hallway outside Ava's room, hands in his pockets, humming under his breath just to fill the silence. The corridor lights were dim—someone probably forgot to replace a few bulbs again—and the shadows stretched longer than they should've.
As he reached the top of the stairs, he paused when movement caught his eye through the tall window by the landing.
Zach was heading out.
Even from this distance, Zeke could tell something was off. The guy didn't look back. No pause, no hesitation. Just straight into the night with Butler Eduardo walking a few steps behind him, silent as ever. And then they were gone, swallowed by the dark like the closing scene of a noir movie.
Zeke glanced at the old clock in the hallway. 6:23 PM.
Downstairs, the staff were already buzzing like bees around a secret. Their voices weren't loud, but in a place as quiet and echo-prone as this manor, even whispers felt like announcements.
