In the aftermath of the blackout, whispers swept through Sterling Mansion like poisonous smoke, each murmured speculation darker than the last. By morning, the power was restored, but tension lingered, crackling beneath the thin veneer of normalcy.
Sienna stood quietly beside Silas in the mansion's grand hall, feigning obedience as they faced a cold tribunal of Sterling elders. Patriarch Augustus Sterling sat imperiously at the head of the council, his hawk-like gaze piercing through her, searching for weaknesses to exploit.
Yet Sienna remained unmoved. Her calm exterior concealed the storm raging within—she knew precisely who orchestrated the blackout and why. But she needed proof.
The doors abruptly swung open, breaking the suffocating silence. Josephine Sterling swept into the room with calculated drama, a porcelain bowl cradled gracefully in her hands, a gentle smile masking her venomous intentions.
"Fourth Young Madam," Josephine purred sweetly, eyes glittering with hidden malice. "After last night's misunderstandings, I've personally prepared a nourishing soup for you—bird's nest steeped in rare medicinal herbs. A gift from the heart."
Sienna's gaze chilled, recalling vividly the poison in the previous night's soup. "Second Madam is too generous," she replied coolly, her voice laced with subtle mockery. "Such concern truly warms my heart."
Josephine's smile faltered slightly at Sienna's composed reaction but quickly recovered, setting the bowl carefully on the ornate table in front of her. "Please drink it while it's still hot. After all, we must look after your health—so many eyes are watching you closely now."
Silas's sharp gaze moved slowly between the two women, noting the subtle tension. He made no move to intervene, merely observing like a predator watching two rivals circling each other, intrigued to see who would strike first.
Without hesitation, Sienna calmly plucked a delicate jade hairpin from her hair, dipping its sharpened end into the thick amber broth. The elegant jade darkened instantly, poison staining it an ominous blackish-green.
She lifted the jade pin calmly, her gaze meeting Josephine's without flinching. "It appears you're determined to nurture me to death, Second Madam."
Gasps rippled through the gathered elders. Josephine's face drained of color, fury flashing briefly across her composed façade. "Impossible! You dare slander me again?"
"Slander?" Sienna stepped forward gracefully, voice calm yet lethal. "Then prove your innocence."
Before Josephine could react, Sienna seized the bowl and advanced swiftly, her free hand gripping Josephine's chin firmly, forcing her mouth open. "If your intentions are pure, surely you won't refuse your own creation."
Josephine struggled violently, eyes wide with fear. "Release me at once! How dare you—"
"Drink," Sienna's voice was dangerously quiet, leaving no room for argument, "or admit your crime."
As the elders watched in shock, a clear, authoritative voice cut sharply through the chaos. "Enough."
Patriarch Augustus rose slowly, his ancient eyes filled with quiet menace. "This disgraceful farce ends now. Sienna, release her."
Sienna hesitated momentarily, then relinquished her grip. Josephine stumbled backward, coughing and spluttering, her carefully maintained elegance utterly shattered.
Silas, who had been silently observing from the shadows, now stepped forward, offering a faint smile that masked deeper calculation. "Grandfather, perhaps this situation deserves closer investigation. After all, this poison could threaten anyone in this house—including yourself."
Augustus regarded his grandson coldly, silently weighing the threat behind Silas's seemingly benign suggestion. "You speak boldly, Silas. But do you truly have the stomach to uncover the real poison within this family?"
Silas inclined his head slightly, eyes glinting dangerously. "We'll find out soon enough."
Without another word, he turned abruptly and exited the hall, leaving a trail of uncertainty in his wake.
Outside, in the quiet seclusion of a corridor, Sienna stood leaning against the carved wooden balustrade, her breathing steadied yet heart racing from the confrontation. Footsteps approached quietly, and she turned to see Silas watching her closely, his dark eyes unreadable.
"You handled Josephine quite expertly," he murmured softly, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Survival demands expertise," she replied coldly. "Your family seems eager to test my limits."
He moved closer, his presence oppressive yet oddly reassuring. "I wonder if you've truly reached your limits yet."
She regarded him warily. "Are you issuing a challenge, Silas?"
He smiled enigmatically, voice low and tinged with hidden danger. "Consider it motivation."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, noting the way his gaze lingered on her face, as though searching for something beyond mere defiance. "What exactly are you hoping to find, Silas?"
He leaned closer, his whisper brushing tantalizingly across her ear. "The truth behind your flawless façade. Everyone has secrets—even you."
Before she could respond, Silas stepped back, a thin, mysterious smile playing on his lips. He inclined his head slightly toward the end of the corridor. "Be careful, Sienna. You're not the only predator here."
As he turned and walked away, Sienna's gaze flickered with suspicion. But deeper still lingered an unsettling curiosity—a desire to peel back his layers of mystery and understand the darkness that bound them both.
Slowly, she opened her clenched palm, revealing a small object she'd secretly taken from Josephine during their struggle—a tiny silver vial etched with intricate symbols, identical to the one found beside her master's lifeless body years ago.
Her breath caught sharply. Was Josephine truly behind this, or was the mastermind someone far more sinister?
Suddenly, Silas's earlier warning echoed chillingly in her mind:
"We have bigger threats than each other."
Sienna's fingers tightened fiercely around the vial, her eyes blazing with determination. If Sterling Mansion was a pit of vipers, she would become the deadliest among them—and then strike without mercy.