ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT SIX

ALICE'S POV

The drive back home was quiet, the silence only broken by the occasional honking of a distant car. I glanced at myself in the rearview mirror, taking in the smudged remnants of mascara under my eyes and the flushed cheeks from the earlier conversation with Konrad at the park. The emotions were still raw, swirling inside me like a storm. It had been years since I'd let anyone see me like that—vulnerable, exposed. I shook my head, trying to pull myself together, pushing those emotions deep down where they couldn't interfere with what needed to be done.

As the Lockwood mansion came into view, I took a deep breath, reminding myself that everything I was doing was for the good of me and my son.

When I walked into the living room, I wasn't surprised to find William in his usual state of debauchery. Half-naked models draped themselves over him, giggling and sipping champagne as if this was just another day in their lavish lives. The sight was repulsive. I felt a flicker of disgus