Amelia POV

A sharp knock yanked me from my restless sleep. My body ached from the weight of exhaustion, the bruises of yesterday’s silent battles pressing against my skin like invisible shackles. I forced my eyes open, adjusting to the dim light filtering through the heavy curtains. The mansion remained eerily quiet, the way it always was—cold, hollow, like an abandoned palace where ghosts whispered through the corridors.

Another knock. More urgent this time.

“Mrs. Cole.” The voice was ...