ARIANA

I stood frozen for what felt like hours, my mind spinning as I tried to process everything the old woman had just said. My cheek still stung from her slap, but the pain was drowned out by the flood of questions crashing through my thoughts.

I straightened up, my fingers trembling as they brushed against my cheek one last time. Then I took a steadying breath, squared my shoulders, and made my way out. As I walked down the corridor towards the foyer, I stopped in my tracks, a sudden thought crashing into me like a wave. The cameras. Grayson had cameras in almost every corner of this house....