CHAPTER 1 — THE MAN AT THE DOOR
The mansion froze the moment the doors fully opened.
Cold night air swept through the marble hall like a warning.
The stepmother straightened her posture immediately, forcing calm into her expression—but her fingers had already gone stiff.
The boy stood still.
His red cheek burned, but he didn’t move.
And then the man in the black suit stepped inside.
Each step echoed once… then stopped.
He didn’t look at the woman first.
He looked at the boy.
A long silence stretched between them.
The boy’s breath trembled.
“Sir…” the stepmother finally forced out, her voice lighter than her fear. “This is not what it looks like—”
The man raised one hand.
May you like
She stopped speaking instantly.
Because something in his eyes made excuses useless.
