Sincerity And Obedience

The stairs groaned under Evie’s soft tread. She kept the heavy crystal bottle pressed tight against her ribs, as if the cold glass could act as a shield against the creeping dread in her chest. Up from the damp cellar, the air in the estate's main corridors turned sharp and sterile, smelling of lemon polish and wealth. Her pulse hammered a frantic rhythm against her throat.

Every step toward the