#Chapter 182: Trance

Audrey The drive back to Edwin’s mansion was silent, the tension from the disastrous dinner still hanging heavily in the air of the car. I huddled under the blanket Edwin had thrown over me, my teeth chattering despite the car’s heater blasting at full force. In the backseat, Peter and Eliza sat quietly, their presence a strange comfort in the aftermath of the evening’s events. As soon as we arrived, Edwin ushered me inside without a word to his siblings, his strong arms cradling me tightly against his chest. He carried me to the living room, settling me on the couch in front of the fireplace before kneeling to examine my feet. “They’re like ice,” he muttered, his warm hands enveloping my frigid toes. “I’ll get you some warm socks.” When he returned a few minutes later with thick, woolen socks and a steaming mug of tea, his expression was troubled. He sat beside me, pulling my feet into his lap to massage some warmth back into them. “Audrey,” he beg