Chapter 4 Four

"I asked a question," Jeff repeated.

Sarah’s heart was drumming. The sight of Jeff with the staff member was still burned into her retina, but the fear for herself was rapidly overtaking her shock.

She felt small, exposed in her thin silk slip, while the cold air of the manor seemed to bite at her bare shoulders.

"Please," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Let me go, Jeff. I won't say anything to your father. I promise."

Jeff’s grip on her arm tightened. His eyes were still digging into her.

He leaned in close, his breath smelling of the same amber liquid from earlier. "Were you going to say something to my father?" he asked.

"No, there's no way I would say anything..."

"You..." he interrupted as if he wasn't saying anything in the first place that needed her to offer a reply.

He trailed his free hand up her arm, his fingers cold against her heated skin. "You? What would you have said? That his son is messing with a male staff member or what?"

His face inched closer, lip-syncing, "What would you have said?"

She tried to put distance but there's no distance to be put even though she tried to force it.

The only thing that could save her right now was a distraction and it came almost immediately with the heavy click of a door echoing from the hallway below.

The sound of heels cut through the tension. It was a woman in a fur coat. She stopped at the foot of the stairs, looking up.

Her eyes caught Jeff’s, then flickered to Sarah’s trembling form.

"Jeff," she called out, "What are you doing with a little girl?"

Jeff let go of Sarah’s arm almost immediately while Sarah tossed to the other side of the same space.

He smoothed his shirt, "Just welcoming the guest, Elara. She seemed… lost."

Elara? Sarah registered the name in her skull, giving her a second look. She's the woman who's Bardulf's current ex?

And the same one she had seen everywhere but not met in person before. Is it her?

"Is your father around? I can't find him."Elara asked, her eyes fixated on Jeff.

"Well, he travelled to Tokyo for a business trip."

"Oh," Elara mouthed before turning to look at her more closely, "You must be the new bride? Bardulf's new plaything."

Sarah's gaze fell to the floor immediately.

"Yeah, she is our new stepmother," Jeff affirmed.

"She's quite young." Elara continued turning to Jeff who paid less attention to her now, "Where did he get this one from?"

"Wherever she was gotten, she's my father's bride now." A voice caught in the foyer, before they found the owner of the voice.

Riven. He wasn't looking at anyone in particular, "What are you doing in our house at this time of night?"

"Well, I was hoping to see your dad," Elara said.

"He's not here, so can you leave? You're making my father's wife very uncomfortable." Riven continued and Sarah was lost as to the angle Riven was coming from.

Is he saving her or is he being burned further?

Elara gave a small sigh, turned, and walked away, Jeff turned to look at Riven, "Really? Is that you trying to sound grown up?"

Riven raised his brow, "You didn't have to entertain her with your father's wife," Riven said before Jeff nudged him rudely and walked off.

Riven turned and headed down the stairs, leaving Sarah alone in the dark.

She stood there for a long time, clutching her arms, before she mustered enough courage to enter her room.

The next morning, came as quickly as she had hoped. Her body strained and weak, she sat up, the events of last night rushing through her head.

Her stomach rumbled immediately, and she stepped down from the bed to change into something casual before heading down to see what was in for breakfast.

Sarah tried to find the kitchen considering how many corridors, halls, rooms... When she finally found the dining hall, the three sons were already there.

"Hungry?" Kael asked, not looking up from his meal. He was sitting at the head of the table.

"I... yes. Is there coffee?" She asked feeling awkward as eyes turned to her after the question.

"Cook’s off," Jeff said, leaning back in his chair.

Cook's off? So that means the meal they're eating right now was prepared by them? Do they cook by themselves?

Interviews never said they fancied cooking?... To the extent of brewing coffees for each person?

"We handle our own on the weekends. And since you’re the 'lady of the house,' maybe you should start leaning into the role. Why don't you make us something?" Jeff continued as if he wanted to answer the curiosity radiating from her.

Sarah looked at the three of them and they were all still watching her, gauging her reaction.

She looked away, "I don't know where anything is," she said softly sauntering closer into the center of the kitchen.

"Then starve," Riven muttered staring at his phone and then, he looked up, his eyes clashing with hers.

"Or go find Dad.  Maybe he’ll find something for his little princess."

Is that it? She turned to leave, but Kael’s voice stopped her.

"Oh, Sarah? One more thing." He stood up, walking toward her. He held up a small, delicate object.

Her eyes caught it, gasping immediately... It was the locket her mother had given her.

"I found this in the hallway. It looks... cheap. It doesn't belong in a Voidmere house. So I figured maybe it's yours."

How did their hands...she thought already searching her neck, there's no way he's holding the locket now...but it wasn't around her neck.

It was right in front of her, dangling in between his fingers.

"Give it back," Sarah said, her voice trembling.

Kael smiled, watching the reaction plastered on her face. He walked over to the large fireplace where a low flame was flickering.

"Everything in this house is high quality, Sarah. We don't keep trash."

He dropped the locket into the embers.

"No!" Sarah lunged for it, but Jeff caught her by the waist, swinging her back.

"Easy, Step-mom," Jeff whispered in her ear, his grip uncomfortably tight. "It’s just a lesson. Out with the old, in with the new."

Sarah broke free and ran. She didn't stop until she reached the gardens, the cold morning air biting at her skin.

She collapsed against a stone fountain, tears of her marriage finally spilling over. How could they...how could they do that to her locket?

It was the only belonging of her mother that she still possessed.

They're so cruel!! How can they be so cruel!! I want to...I want to go home...

"Why are you crying?" She heard a voice that caused her to stop, her head snapped up from her knees.

It was Bardulf. How did he get here when she didn't even hear footsteps approaching...he stood at the edge of the fountain, his massive frame silhouetted against the gray morning sky and only dressed in a black tracksuit.

She opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again, just tears still following. Her sobs grew quieter until she found herself only shaking her head and hiding her face again.

He came close, his hand pulling her up to her feet, arms circling as he guided her closer to himself;

She paused her sobs, even her tears too as she did nothing but look up, staring into his eyes.

"You're not going to tell me what happened while I was away?"