Chapter 14

The two of them screamed all the way, running for their lives without a shred of dignity, until they smacked straight into the butler who was overseeing the gardeners trimming the hedges. The workers gave the pale-faced pair odd looks. Then they heard Simone stammer, words tumbling out, "Mice! So many freaking mice! That was clearly Sabrina... then somehow she turned into rats!" None of it made sense to the workers, but they didn't dare slack off. They grabbed their tools and dashed toward the basement. It was dead silent down there. A few of them had heard some creepy stuff about Sabrina, so they were already kind of jittery. But once they reached the railing, they saw a slim woman, curled up against the wall, fast asleep. And who could it be but her? She looked a little pale, sure, but nothing scary enough to make someone lose their mind. They checked around, even scoured the floor-nothing. Not a single mouse. Everyone exchanged confused glances before quietly retreating upstairs, still not understanding what had just happened. By evening, the whole Bennett residence was buzzing- Word was the eldest daughter-in-law, Sabrina, had been locked up in the basement, looking half-dead and miserable. Then Simone and Emily went to see her and somehow got so spooked that they ran off saying nonsense, totally forgetting how to carry themselves like the ladies they usually pretended to be. Upstairs in the bedroom- Simone slammed her hand on the table, lip curled in fury. "Olivia! That witch is behind all this! I swear I saw rats crawling out of her clothes! Ask Emily!" Emily's face still hadn't regained much color and she looked like she was barely holding it together. "My head's pounding... I think I need to lie down..." "You're useless!" Simone snapped. "Olivia, do something! She hit me yesterday, and now she's scaring us like this today! She's totally out of control!" The noise was giving Olivia a headache. She set her book down, finally speaking, "Sabrina's been through hell and back. Acting all weird now isn't surprising. But come on, people don't just wake up smart one day. You really think she's capable of pulling something like this off?" Simone stared at her, then suddenly smacked her own forehead. "You're right! I've been underestimating her! There's a banquet tomorrow. I'll make sure she shows her true colors in front of everyone!" Olivia just kept flipping pages like nothing mattered at all. Meanwhile, Emily still looked out of it, like part of her was still stuck in that basement. ***** After the commotion, the basement returned to its eerie stillness-so quiet, you could hear a single drop of water hit the floor. Sabrina was dozing off against the wall when she heard footsteps. Lifting her head, she saw the Bennett family's butler standing at the railing. He was dressed immaculately, expression stiff. "Madam, please return to your room. There's a dinner party tomorrow, and you're to accompany the young master." Sabrina barely opened her eyes, didn't move, didn't speak. The butler continued, slightly more firm this time. "The Chamber's banquets are always formal. Chairman William Turner and his wife will be attending." Still leaning against the cold wall, Sabrina replied lazily, "And what's that got to do with me?" The butler forced a professional smile. "It's fine if you refuse to attend. But Mr. Bennett said no one's allowed to bring you food or water. If anyone breaks his order, they'll be punished-family rules, ma'am. The whip used is specially made from thorned branches. Sharp and tough. Tell me, aside from you, who else could survive that unscathed?" Sabrina's eyes turned ice cold. She stared straight at him. "Where's Cassian?"