Kelvin had just finished arranging his belongings in the cottage and was about to settle down with a home-cooked meal by the stove.

The cottage was a far cry from the workers' quarters.

Instead of cramped hallways and shared living spaces, this place offered privacy. The sitting room was spacious, furnished with comfortable leather chairs, a polished coffee table, and a stone fireplace that gave the room a welcoming warmth. Large windows overlooked the estate grounds, allowing natural light to spill across the wooden floors.

There was even a small study tucked away at the back of the cottage-perfect for handling paperwork or making private calls.

For the first time since arriving at the estate, Kelvin had a space he could truly call his own.

Or at least pretend to.

He was about to sit down when the front door burst open.

Kelvin immediately rose from his chair.

He wasn't surprised when he saw Timothy.

"Trying to break down my door already?" Kelvin asked. "I just moved in."

Timothy chuckled.

"You're being summoned."

Kelvin frowned.

"By whom?"

"Julius."

"He can wait. I was about to eat."

"He cannot," Timothy replied.

"When Julius calls, you leave whatever you're doing and make yourself available."

Kelvin sighed.

"Fine."

He grabbed his jacket.

"Lead the way."

***

Minutes later, Timothy led him through a narrow underground corridor beneath the Anderson mansion.

The deeper they went, the colder the air became.

The walls were stone.

The lighting sparse.

The atmosphere unsettling.

"Where are we?" Kelvin asked quietly.

"Under the mansion."

"Going where?"

Timothy glanced at him.

"Julius wants us in the torture room."

Kelvin's expression hardened.

"Why?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

The rest of the walk passed in silence.

Eventually, they stopped before a large brass door.

Timothy knocked three times.

A lock clicked.

The door slowly opened.

One of Julius's guards stood waiting.

"Follow me."

The guard led them inside.

Kelvin's eyes immediately swept across the room.

It was mostly empty.

A single chair stood in the center.

A man was chained to it.

His clothes were torn.

His face swollen.

Blood stained his shirt.

Along one wall stood a metal table covered with instruments Kelvin had no difficulty identifying.

Tools designed for pain.

At the far end of the room stood Julius.

Watching.

A large man stood beside the prisoner and struck him across the face with enough force to send blood flying.

The prisoner groaned.

Kelvin recognized him immediately.

The old worker.

The man who had attacked Julius during the gathering.

Julius glanced over his shoulder.

"You're here."

Kelvin nodded.

"You wanted to see me."

"I did."

Another punch landed.

The old man coughed blood onto the floor.

Julius watched without emotion.

"This is what happens when people forget their place."

Kelvin remained silent.

The guard struck the man again.

The old worker barely reacted this time.

Julius turned toward Kelvin.

"How did you find your day off in town with Timothy and John?"

Kelvin cast the prisoner a brief glance.

"It was relaxing. I needed that. Thank you."

Julius nodded.

"It was a reward for the work you've done at the mines. Keep doing a good job, and you'll enjoy far greater rewards than the one I offered.

Kelvin nodded in agreement. Julius turns his attention toward the prisoner.

"Tell me."

A pause.

"What should I do with him?"

Kelvin understood immediately.

This wasn't a question.

It was a test.

The room waited.

Timothy said nothing.

The guards said nothing.

Everyone watched Kelvin.

He studied the old worker.

Then Julius.

"If it were me?"

Julius nodded.

"Go on."

Kelvin folded his hands behind his back.

"I'd let him go."

The room went silent.

Even Timothy looked surprised.

Julius narrowed his eyes.

"Why?"

"Because killing him gains you nothing."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

Julius stepped closer.

"Nothing?"

Kelvin shook his head.

"He already lost his son."

He gestured toward the prisoner.

"Everyone knows that."

A pause.

"The workers know it."

"The miners know it."

"The entire estate knows it."

Julius folded his arms.

"And?"

"And if you kill him, he'll become a martyr."

The word hung in the air.

Kelvin continued.

"People already dislike your methods."

No one dared breathe.

"You kill him and they won't fear you more."

He met Julius's gaze.

"They'll simply hate you more."

The room fell silent.

Julius studied him carefully.

Kelvin pressed on.

"Fear has limits."

A pause.

"Eventually people become accustomed to it."

He glanced toward the prisoner.

"But mercy?"

Another pause.

"That confuses people."

Julius raised an eyebrow.

Kelvin nodded toward the old man.

"A grieving father attacks you."

"You spare him."

He shrugged.

"Suddenly the story changes."

"You're no longer the tyrant they expected."

"They begin talking."

"Questioning."

"Wondering."

He looked directly at Julius.

"And that uncertainty is far more useful than another corpse."

The room became very still.

Even the old prisoner lifted his head.

Julius stared at Kelvin for several seconds.

Then-

A faint smile appeared.

The first genuine one Kelvin had ever seen from him.

"Interesting."

Kelvin remained expressionless.

Julius looked back at the prisoner.

Then at his guards.

Finally-

At Kelvin.

"You may be more useful than I originally thought."

Julius turned toward the guards.

"You heard the man. Untie him."

The room froze.

Even the prisoner looked shocked.

One of the guards hesitated.

"Sir?"

Julius never looked away from Kelvin.

"You heard me."

Slowly, the guards moved forward.

For the first time since entering the room, Kelvin saw genuine confusion on the faces of everyone present.

Good. That meant Julius had listened. And that was the first step to his revenge.

***

Kelvin roamed through the Anderson mansion grounds, trying to find his way back to the main entrance.

Unfortunately, that was proving more difficult than expected.

The mansion was enormous.

Not larger than his stepfather's estate, but large enough that a newcomer could spend hours wandering its halls and still end up lost.

And right now, Kelvin was thoroughly lost.

Timothy had disappeared with Julius shortly after the prisoner was released, leaving Kelvin to find his own way out.

Not that he minded.

Being alone gave him an opportunity to observe. To learn. To remember.

He walked through another corridor lined with expensive paintings and polished wooden furniture before pushing through a set of double doors.

Fresh air greeted him.

Kelvin stepped outside.

A stone pathway stretched ahead, winding through a garden hidden behind the mansion.

He stopped.

For the first time since arriving at the estate, something about the place felt peaceful.

The garden spread across several terraces connected by winding paths and short stone staircases. Rows of roses bloomed in carefully arranged beds. Lavender bushes lined the walkways, their scent drifting gently through the afternoon air.

Tall hedges formed natural walls around sections of the garden, creating small private corners furnished with benches and fountains.

Birds moved freely among flowering trees.

A small pond sat near the center, its surface shimmering beneath the sunlight. White lilies floated lazily upon the water while a stone angel stood watch from the far bank.

The entire place felt untouched by the violence that ruled the rest of the estate.

As though someone had built a sanctuary in the middle of a battlefield.

Kelvin followed the path.

The deeper he went, the quieter everything became.

No guards.

No workers.

No shouting.

Just the sound of birds and wind.

Then he rounded a corner and stopped.

A woman stood beside a flower bed, carefully trimming a rose bush.

Mrs. Kate Anderson.

She wore a light blue dress that moved gently in the breeze. Gardening gloves covered her hands, and a straw hat shielded her face from the sun.

For a moment, she looked nothing like the matriarch of one of the most feared families in the country.

She looked...

Ordinary.

Peaceful.

Kate sensed his presence and turned.

Surprise flickered across her features.

Then a smile followed.

"Kelvin."

Kelvin straightened slightly.

"Mrs. Anderson."

She glanced behind him.

"You seem lost."

A faint smirk touched his lips.

"That obvious?"

Kate laughed softly.

"Only a little."

Her eyes moved toward the path behind him.

"The main entrance is in the opposite direction."

Kelvin sighed.

"That explains a lot."

The smile on Kate's face widened.

For a brief moment, she simply looked at him.

Studied him.

The same way she always seemed to.

As though trying to solve a puzzle she could not quite understand.

Kelvin turns to leave through the path her eyes trailed towards but her voice stopped him.

"You were with Julius?" she asked.

He turns to her.

"Yes."

"And?"

Kelvin thought about the prisoner.

The torture room.

The test.

"He wanted my opinion on something."

Kate's expression became thoughtful.

"That usually means he values it."

Kelvin shrugged.

"Or he's testing me."

"Probably both."

A comfortable silence settled between them.

Kate returned to trimming the roses.

Kelvin found himself watching her. How carefully she handles those plants.

There was something strange about being around this woman.

Something familiar. He knew he shouldn't be standing here talking to her. He knew she was his biological mother. The woman his adoptive mother had spoken about in her farewell letter. He wanted nothing to do with her. For years, he had carried resentment toward the woman who had given him away, whether that resentment was fair or not. And yet...

Something made him lower his guard when he shouldn't.

His eyes drifted toward the flowers.

"You take care of all this yourself?"

Kate nodded.

"When I can."

She touched one of the roses gently.

"Growing things reminds me that not everything has to be controlled."

Kelvin looked at her.

For some reason, that answer felt sad.

As though it carried a meaning beyond flowers.

Kate glanced at him again.

"You don't look convinced."

"No."

"Why not?"

Kelvin looked around the garden.

"Because this place feels too peaceful."

Kate smiled knowingly.

"And that bothers you?"

"It doesn't fit."

Her smile faded slightly.

"No."

She looked across the estate.

"It doesn't."

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Kate pointed toward a path leading away from the garden.

"Follow that trail."

Kelvin looked where she pointed.

"It'll take you back to the front grounds."

He nodded.

"Thank you."

Kate smiled warmly.

"You're welcome, Kelvin."

He turned to leave.

But as he walked away, he couldn't shake the feeling of her eyes lingering on him.

Behind him, Kate watched until he disappeared around the corner.

Her hand slowly drifted to the silver locket hanging around her neck.

A familiar ache settled inside her chest.

For reasons she could not explain, every time she looked at Kelvin, she felt as though she had lost something important.

And somehow...

Found it again.