Chapter 12 The Calm Before The Storm

The silence in the mansion that night was suffocating. The usual hum of distant city life, the occasional creak of settling wood, and even the rhythmic ticking of the grandfather clock in the hallway seemed muted. It wasn’t the kind of peaceful stillness that came with nightfall—it was the kind that warned of an approaching storm. Emily sat at the massive oak desk in the study, the folder from Xavier open in front of her. The dim glow of the desk lamp cast long shadows on the walls, making the room feel smaller than it was. She barely noticed. Her eyes remained fixed on the photograph in front of her.