Chapter 4

The kitchen was a flurry of activity as Maria bustled around, preparing breakfast for Alexander. I stood at the counter, sipping my coffee, my mind still reeling from the events of the previous night. The memory of the photograph, Charlotte's face smiling up at me from Alexander's desk, lingered like a ghost in my mind.

Just as I was about to leave the kitchen, I heard a commotion from the living room. Charlotte's voice, shrill and panicked, cut through the morning air. "Alexander! Help!"

I rushed into the room, my heart pounding, to find Charlotte collapsed on the couch, her…