I awakened to the gentle tapping on my door. My eyes struggled to open, weighed down by fatigue. Everything seemed like a haze. The burden of the pregnancy, the emotional turmoil, and being confined in this house—it all seemed overwhelming.

The knocking occurred once more, slightly louder on this occasion. I moaned and gradually made myself sit up, rubbing my eyes. A well-known voice came after the knock.

“Miss Aliana, Mr. Freddy is awaiting you downstairs,” Mercy's soft voice drifted ...