The grand chandelier in the main hall glittered like fractured stars, but Angela hardly noticed as she slipped into one of the quieter corridors. The hallway was a labyrinth of dim lighting and muted whispers. Angela moved through it with purpose, her footsteps echoing faintly against the marble floors. The shadows seemed alive, coiling around her as if to mock her growing unease.
Elena's words echoed in her mind, each syllable a dagger carving doubt into her thoughts. The weight of confusion and anger was too much to bear. She needed answers, real ones, not the evasions Julie always offered. Her heels clicked against the polished floor as she searched, her heart pounding harder with every step. At the far end of the hallway, she spotted her mother, leaning against the wall with her phone pressed to her ear.