The entrance door slammed behind us with a sound that echoed louder than it should have, reverberating through the marble foyer like a verdict being delivered.

We were home.

The house was quiet in that unnerving way that only wealth and isolation can afford. No staff. No music. No ambient distraction to soften the reality of what had just unfolded. The silence pressed in on me from every direction, thick and unforgiving.

I stood there for a moment, unmoving, my clutch still clenched in my hand, ...