The silence in the estate is thick—unnatural. The moment I step through the front door, I sense it. Something is wrong.
The air hums with unease, pressing against my skin like a whisper of something unseen. My heels click against the marble floors, steady, deliberate, but I don't make it far before Elara comes rushing toward me.
Her face is pale, her expression tight with something bordering on fear.
I still. "What happened?"
She hesitates, wringing her hands together.
I step closer, voice turning sharp. "Elara."
Her lips part, but it takes a second before she speaks. And when she does, my blood turns to ice.
"It's about the playdate. Something… happened to Lily."
A slow, dangerous exhale leaves me. "Tell me everything."
Flashback – The Playdate
The afternoon sun spilled golden light over the garden, warm and bright. The sound of laughter rang through the air as Lily and Posie sat cross-legged on the grass, their dolls arranged in a semi-circle between them.
