Chapter 7 - Damian Investigates Sofia’s Abandoned Staff Quarters Deep Down
Leaving Marco in charge of the dining room, Damian walked briskly down the dim corridor leading to the staff quarters.
The subterranean hallway smelled faintly of lemon polish and old paper, preserving the quiet ghost of Sofia’s daily presence.
He unlocked the door to her former basement bedroom, stepping into the small, impeccably neat living space.
A single reading lamp cast a warm glow over a narrow twin bed, a worn armchair, and a small wooden nightstand.
Damian remembered Sofia as a quiet, hardworking woman who raised her daughter with fierce, silent dedication after her husband passed.
He opened the drawer of the nightstand, finding a stack of children’s books, grocery receipts, and a small velvet pouch.
Inside the pouch were spare keys, a few dollar bills, and a photograph of a smiling young Sofia holding baby Rosie.
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Nothing else in the room suggested she had planned on leaving or dying anytime soon.
Yet her medical file claimed she suffered a massive, sudden brain hemorrhage while sleeping in her bed.
