[Evelina's POV—Vinter Mansion—The Next Morning]
The next morning arrived like nothing had happened.
Which was the most terrifying part.
Maids and servants scrambled through the mansion like panicked rabbits—heads down, hands shaking, movements sharp and frantic. Bloodstains were scrubbed from marble that had never known mercy. Broken glass was swept away. Furniture replaced. Curtains changed.
Erase the night.
Before Theo Vinter woke.
I stood halfway down the staircase, arms folded, watching the chaos with a strange calm. Fear lived here. Not loud fear. Controlled fear. The kind that knew exactly where the line was—and never crossed it.
Then—
"Hi there, babe."
I turned.
Theo was already descending the stairs, shirt clean, hair still slightly damp, and posture relaxed like he hadn't turned his home into a battlefield hours ago. He smiled—the same easy, devastating smile that made murder look like an inconvenience.
