Chapter 131

Elodie's POV

The next morning, as I entered the kitchen, my mother was already bustling about, humming to herself as she arranged plates and poured coffee into cups. The maids moved like clockwork around her, slicing fruit and setting silverware. Everything was normal, almost painfully so. Almost.

“Good morning, Elodie,” my mother said, glancing up from her buttering of toast with a soft smile. “D