Cold Awakening

The biting chill of the early spring night crept through the walls. Sloane had ruthlessly turned off the heating for Chloe's room. The freezing water soaked into Chloe’s pajamas, chilling her to the bone.

Chloe glared at the culprit in the doorway and roared. "Sloane!"

"You seem to be having a great time. Let me add to your excitement. How about that? Is it thrilling enough? If not, I can have someone bring in some toilet water for you." Sloane leaned against the doorframe, mocking the drenched girl.

The music continued blasting through the speakers. Sloane picked up the empty plastic tub and hurled it straight at the stereo system. The heavy plastic collided with the expensive electronics with a loud crash. Sparks flew, the metal casing caved in, and the deafening bass stopped abruptly, leaving a ringing silence in the freezing room.

Gideon rushed down the corridor in his sleepwear, jolted awake by the din. "What is happening here?"

He burst in and saw his daughter soaked. Fury flashed across his face, but the moment he met Sloane's cold glare, his posture shrank. His aggressive tone softened into immediate submission.

Gideon kept his hands open in a placating gesture. "Sloane, why the fuss?"

Chloe shivered tearfully, spinning a pathetic lie. "Dad, she poured water on me. I am freezing. It was cold, and I could not sleep. I thought I would listen to music, but Sloane would not allow it."

She looked at her father, hoping he would back her up.

Gideon rubbed his arms against the frigid air in the room. He was angry, but a deep-seated terror of this ruthless version of Sloane kept him paralyzed. He turned to his daughter with a meek look.

"Chloe, Sloane has just returned. Cut her some slack. Do not argue with her." Gideon coaxed.

Chloe stood frozen, her jaw dropping as she registered her father's cowardice.

Sloane let out a sharp laugh at Chloe's dumbfounded expression. She stepped forward, asserting her unquestionable dominance over the space. "What are you expecting, Chloe? This is my house. Are you done acting?"

Both Gideon and Chloe flushed red, the humiliation burning their cheeks despite the freezing temperature.

"My house, my rules. I am a light sleeper and cannot stand noise at night. Can't stand it? Leave. If there is a next time, I will throw you into the pool. Perhaps that will clear your mind." Sloane crossed her arms, delivering a stark warning.

Gideon cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact. "Sloane. The heating has been broken for days. When will it be fixed? It is cold."

"I am not the repairman. How should I know?" Sloane turned on her heel and walked away. A faint smirk played on her lips as she thought about the traps she had set for these two parasites.

Chloe pointed a trembling finger at the empty doorway. "Dad, look at her!"

Gideon hushed her, stepping back out into the hallway and heading to his own room. "Alright, Chloe. Chill. Just clean up and go to sleep."

Chloe spent the next hour shivering as she wiped the puddles off the floor and dried her hair. After making sure the door was locked, she sneaked into Gideon's room.

"Dad, are we going to let Sloane push us around like this?" Chloe hissed, pacing the floor.

Gideon sat on the edge of the bed with a stern, rigid posture. His heart still bled over the vase Sloane had callously shattered earlier that day. It was worth a million dollars, yet she had casually dismissed it as a mere replica before smashing it to pieces. His chest tightened at the financial loss.

Chloe crouched down in front of him, grabbing his hands. "Dad, we are finally where we are today. Do you want to give it up? Do you not remember how we bowed and scraped before Uncle Alaric and Aunt Evelyn? I do not want to do that again."

Gideon narrowed his eyes, pulling his hands away. "You think I have not considered it? Sloane's return is sudden and mysterious, and she holds the power right now. Whatever she says, goes. Who will risk opposing her?"

Chloe leaned closer, her voice turning venomous. "Her parents are dead. There is no one to back her up. She is nothing. If we do not get rid of her now, she will only grow stronger. She definitely knows something and returned for revenge. We need to strike first. Dad, you must not be soft-hearted!"

Gideon began twisting the thick jade ring on his thumb. A murderous glint flashed in his eyes as he stared at the shadows on the wall. "Relax. If she goes too far, I will not hold back."

In her own room, Sloane lay quietly in bed. A small earpiece rested against her ear. She listened to every word of their murderous plotting through the hidden bug she had planted in their rooms. She smirked at the ceiling, amused by their misplaced confidence.

By midday, Chloe finally awoke. The room was still uncomfortably chilly. She rolled over in bed, reached for the bedside intercom, and pressed the button for the servant's quarters.

"Tessa, come and prepare a bath for me. Pick some flowers from the courtyard. I am going to have a flower bath." Chloe ordered lazily.

The intercom crackled. A stern, familiar voice replied instead of her usual maid. "Miss Chloe, Tessa Morgan has been dismissed. Furthermore, Miss Sloane has ordered that the roses in the courtyard must not be damaged, so we cannot fulfill your order."

Chloe sat up fast, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Who are you?"

"I am Martha Higgins, the housekeeper you dismissed. Pleased to serve you again."

The revelation felt like a physical blow. Chloe slammed the intercom button, threw on her silk robe, and rushed out of the room. She jogged to the top of the grand staircase and looked down at the foyer.

Several maids were polishing the banisters and sweeping the marble floors. None of them were the people she had bribed. Every single face belonged to the old, loyal staff of Kensington Court. Sloane had purged her network in one morning.

Chloe gripped the railing and looked out the massive bay window facing the courtyard. The exotic plants she had spent thousands cultivating were gone, ripped out by the roots. In their place stood a sea of vibrant, fully bloomed red roses, swaying gently in the afternoon breeze. She had been stripped of all her power.

Chloe clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms in impotent rage.

"Sloane!" Chloe hissed through gritted teeth, her boiling hatred threatening to consume her.