Chapter 4 - Lenora Mutters Warnings About The Locked East Wing Door
Lenora shuffled into the bright dining room wearing a quilted velvet robe, her silver hair loosely pinned behind her head. She stopped near the doorway, staring blankly at the antique grandfather clock ticking near the corner.
Adrian stood up immediately to assist his mother, guiding her gently toward her usual chair at the head of the table. Lenora allowed herself to be seated, but her cloudy blue eyes drifted past Adrian and locked onto Celeste.
"You shouldn't be walking down those hallway stairs after midnight," Lenora muttered, her voice raspy and distant. Celeste froze mid-sip, her coffee mug hovering inches away from her lips for a fraction of a second.
"Good morning, Lenora," Celeste greeted warmly, recovering her composure with practiced ease. "Did you sleep well in your room last night?" Lenora ignored the question entirely, leaning closer across the mahogany surface.
"The East Wing door was locked for a reason," Lenora whispered urgently, her fingers clutching Adrian’s sleeve. "Malcolm threw the key into the lake so nobody would ever open it again."
Adrian frowned, looking down at his mother with a mixture of confusion and deep family dread. "What's inside the East Wing, Mother?" Adrian asked gently. "Is there a safe your father didn't put on the corporate books?"
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Lenora suddenly blinked, her eyes clearing for a brief moment as if she had just woken up from a strange dream. She looked around the dining room, looking bewildered by the tense silence hanging in the air.
"Why is everyone staring at me?" Lenora asked softly, picking up her linen napkin with trembling hands. Celeste looked down at her plate, a fleeting shadow of unease crossing her polished features.
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