The next few days were filled with silence. Benjamin avoided Clara, keeping to his meetings and business matters, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Clara, however, couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. The walls of the mansion felt tighter, the air thicker.
Late one night, Clara overheard a conversation in the hallway. Benjamin's voice was low, tense, and filled with fury.
"…I should have known better than to trust her," he said. "But I won't make the same mistake again. No more lies."
Clara's heart pounded as she listened, her breath catching in her throat. What had she done to make him doubt her? And more importantly, what would happen now?
The next morning, Clara was summoned to Benjamin's office. The tension was palpable as she walked in, her mind racing. This was it. The moment of reckoning.
Benjamin was sitting behind a large desk, his eyes steely and cold. "Sit down," he ordered, his voice like ice.
Clara sat, her hands trembling in her lap.
"I've made a decision," Benjamin said. "You've proven yourself useful, but there are still too many things I don't trust. You will stay here until I'm certain of your loyalty."
Clara nodded, her voice barely a whisper. "I will never betray you, Benjamin."
He studied her for a long moment, his gaze unwavering. "We'll see about that," he said quietly.