Chapter 292

The old-fashioned wall clock in the first-floor living room had just struck eight. The only person left in the house was Mrs. Zora. Ever since Ethan Shaw moved out of the family home, Mr. Shaw found the house too noisy, so most of the staff were let go—besides Mrs. Zora, only a cook and a housemaid remained. Sophie Larkspur sat slumped on the stairs, staring blankly down. At the base of the staircase lay Mr. Shaw, flat on his back, his arms and legs twitching now and then. His lips moved like he was trying to say something, but not a single sound came out. Outside, the icy wind of deep winter howled through the yard, slamming the camphor trees side to side. The head butler had just left. The courtyard? Empty and desolate. The hum of a car engine sounded at the edge of the driveway. In the car parked outside, Alice Morgan glanced at the gas gauge, then turned to the passenger seat. "You head in. I'm running on fumes—I’ll go top off the tank real quick." "Okay." Celeste Harper stepped ou