Chapter 57

“Mrs. Thompson, you know exactly what I’m capable of, don’t you?” Alexander Barron’s tone seemed calm on the surface, but his eyes were icy cold, radiating a sharp, biting chill. Having served in this household for years, Mrs. Thompson was well aware of his reputation—ruthless, unpredictable. She still remembered the day a young maid accidentally splashed tea on him. He had casually waved a hand, and Ethan Hart had dragged the poor girl off to the back hill. No one heard from her again. Even now, the girl’s desperate, blood-curdling screams haunted Mrs. Thompson’s memory. Faced with Alexander’s frigid gaze and thinly veiled threat, her legs gave out and she sank to the floor, trembling. “Emma, please! Help me, talk to the Master and Madam for me, I’m begging you!” She instinctively reached out to Emma Lane, clinging to her last shred of hope. Emma was close to Summer Knight—if anyone could talk Summer into being lenient, it was her. But Emma didn’t budge. “Mrs. Thompson, Madam's alread