As I returned to my room alone after dismissing Bruno, each step felt heavier than the last.
The memories of what had just unfolded in the kitchen replayed in my mind with brutal clarity. Mr. Alfonzo's cold gaze, the deadly calm in his voice, the sound of the gunshots.
He had killed the two maids without a second thought, as if they were nothing more than a nuisance, an inconvenience to his well-kept order.
I closed the door behind me, locking myself in the quiet of my room, and leaned against the wall, trying to steady my breathing.
My legs felt like they could give out at any moment, so I slid down, sinking onto the floor.
The maids hadn't deserved that. They were just caught in the whirlwind of my curiosity, my fear, my need to know the truth about this family. And now… they were gone.
I pressed my hands against my face, feeling the warmth of tears beginning to trail down my cheeks.
