Chapter 69

AVA

Dinner was a quiet affair that evening. The clinking of silverware against fine china was the only sound that echoed through the dimly lit dining room. My appetite had vanished, replaced by a gnawing sense of dread that curled in the pit of my stomach. Eleanor sat across from me, her eyes like cold steel as they flickered over the table. Every word she spoke was laced with an edge that no one else seemed to notice, but it cut into me like a knife.

I knew she was watching me, calculating. Her presence had become unbearable, her silence even more so. The tension in the air was palpable, and I could feel her eyes on me as I forced down another bite, trying to appear unbothered. But deep down, I knew something was coming. Something I wasn’t prepared for.

As the meal drew to a close, the others excused themselves one by one, retreating to their respective corners of the mansion. I lingered a moment longer, hesitating to leave the table, dreading the inevitable encounter with Eleanor