Evelyn's POV

The mansion was still quiet when the sky began to lighten behind the curtains. Soft lights from the lamps spilled into the hallways, brushing over the floors and tall windows. A few maids moved gently through the corridors, careful not to disturb the sleeping mothers, carrying warm water, folded blankets, and sterilized feeding bottles.

Inside Evelyn’s room, the atmosphere was calm but heavy with an unspoken tension.

Evelyn had barely slept. She had drifted in and out of ...