Rosamund quietly wiped down the quartz counter in the kitchen, the girls finished drinking their morning juice, a maid carried freshly folded linens up the grand staircase, and one of the groundskeepers strolled across the back lawn with a set of tools.
Everything appeared completely quiet and normal.
For a few moments, Chadworth almost felt foolish for setting up such an elaborate trap.
He began to wonder if Sabina had simply been overly cautious, or if he had allowed his own paranoid fears to make him doubt a loyal employee who had served his family faithfully for years.
Then, the heavy oak front door clicked shut as the last morning delivery driver departed down the drive, leaving the central floor temporarily clear of outside staff.
That was the exact moment Sabina walked slowly into the primary living room.
The transformation on her face was instantaneous and breathtakingly abrupt.
The warm, affectionate smile vanished entirely, alongside her refined grace and gentle posture.
It was like watching a beautiful porcelain mask slip off a person’s face in real time.
Her entire body language shifted dramatically as her soft expression was replaced by something cold, sharp, annoyed, and cruel.
Chadworth leaned forward in his chair, his eyes fixed on the central display.
On the screen, Lorelai sat quietly on the soft rug with an open storybook resting across her knees, while little Gemma sat right beside her, clutching a worn stuffed rabbit against her chest.
Sabina approached the two children with fast, heavy steps.
“What on earth did I tell you girls about sprawling out on the living room rug like messy commoners?” she snapped harshly.
Both young girls jumped in surprise at the sharp sound of her voice.
They did not react with ordinary childhood shock; instead, they appeared deeply conditioned to expect immediate anger.
They were not acting like children hearing a stern voice for the first time in their lives.
They were acting like terrified children who knew precisely what kind of punishment was about to follow.
Lorelai instantly snapped her storybook closed without saying a word, while Gemma quickly dropped her head and stared directly at the floorboards.
Sabina reached down, snatched the stuffed rabbit straight out of Gemma’s small hands, and tossed it callously across the room onto a high sofa.
“I am completely sick and tired of repeating myself every single day,” Sabina said, stepping closer to them. “When your father is not around to protect you, you will follow my instructions the very first time I speak.”
