(Third person pov)The Blackwood estate stands elegant against the bruising purple of the twilight sky. Inside, the dining hall has been transformed into a sanctuary of deceptive peace. Hailey had orchestrated every detail with the precision of a master programmer writing her final line of code.

Earlier that morning, the atmosphere had been far more intimate. Hailey had called her mother. Telling her the news and listening to her weep a soft, broken sound of genuine joy. They agreed to keep it ...