Chapter 78. Four Years Ago: pt. 2

Elene walked into the grand mansion, as she carried her handbag loosely in one hand, exhaustion pulling at her shoulders. It had been a long day, and all she wanted was to sit down, breathe, and hear her boys laughing upstairs.

She dropped her bag on the couch and let herself sink into it with a small sigh. But she barely had time to relax before the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the living room.

“Mother! Mother!”

Cassien came running, his face flushed, his chest heaving as though he had been holding his breath too long. His small hands clutched at the armrest of the couch, eyes wide with panic.

Elene straightened immediately, her mother’s instinct sharpening. “Slow down, Cassy. What is it?”

Cassien’s lower lip trembled. He tried hard to hold it together, but his voice broke.

“Lucien… my twin is not back yet.”

For a moment, the words hung in the air, sharp and cold. Elene blinked, thinking she must have heard wrong. “What do you