The crystal glasses clinked as I arranged them on the silver tray, each one positioned exactly as Duke had instructed. My white serving uniform felt too tight, too conspicuous—like a target.

"Remember, Katherine," Duke's voice carried from the dining room where he stood with Skylar and his business associates. "No mistakes tonight."

I nodded, though he wasn't looking at me. He never did anymore.

Skylar twirled in her red dress, the diamond bracelet—my sister's medical fund—catching the light. "Oh, Katherine, be careful with that wine. It's Bordeaux, very expensive."

I approached with the wine bottle, careful not to make eye contact with any of the guests. Their conversations halted as I poured, the silence heavy with judgment.

"Clumsy," Skylar murmured, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

Then she did it—deliberately bumped my arm as I poured, sending red wine cascading down the front of my white uniform. The stain spread like blood across snow.

"Oh!" Skylar's hand flew to her mouth in mock horror. "I'm so sorry about the help, everyone. She's usually more... coordinated."

The room filled with uncomfortable laughter. One of the men—Henderson, I think—shook his head. "Perry, where did you find this one?"

Duke's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Katherine, clean yourself up. Now."

I backed away, feeling their stares burn into me. In the hallway mirror, I caught sight of myself—red wine dripping down my chest, humiliation burning my cheeks.

When I returned in a fresh uniform, Skylar was holding court.

"—waited for him for eight years," she was saying, her voice dripping with practiced devotion. "While she betrayed him for money."

"That's not—" I started, then caught myself. Arguing would only make it worse.

"The wedding will be at the estate in Tuscany," Skylar continued, her hand resting possessively on Duke's arm. "We're thinking September, when the vineyards are in bloom."

I served dessert mechanically, each plate a small act of defiance as I refused to break. Skylar described every detail—the flowers, the music, the dress—each word designed to torture me.

"Katherine will be there, of course," she added with a sweet smile. "To witness our happiness."

After the guests left, Duke gestured to the mess. "Clean it up."

"You mean before I go to bed?" I asked, my voice small.

"I mean now," he replied coldly. "All of it."

Skylar yawned dramatically. "We're going to bed, Duke. Don't be too long."

They left me there, surrounded by dirty dishes and wine stains. I worked until 3 AM, scrubbing floors and polishing silver until my hands cramped.

---

"Ms. Olson, I'm afraid I have difficult news." Dr. Martinez's voice crackled through my phone as I hid in the supply closet during my lunch break.

"Sarah's condition is deteriorating faster than we anticipated. The tumor is growing aggressively."

"How long?" I whispered.

"Without intervention? Six weeks, maybe less."

My knees buckled. Six weeks. Duke's wedding was in eight.

"What about the experimental treatment?"

"Still possible, but we need to move quickly. Two hundred thousand dollars, as discussed."

I hung up and rushed to the bank during my break, only to discover what I already knew: everything was frozen. My personal accounts, joint accounts, even the small savings I'd hidden away—all locked behind Duke's legal wall.

---

"Mrs. Perry." Margaret's voice cut through the charity gala like ice. "What a surprise to see you here."

I swallowed hard. "Margaret, I need to speak with you about Sarah's treatment."

She adjusted her pearls, her eyes cold. "I'm afraid I'm quite busy."

"Please," I said, desperation making me bold. "She needs surgery. Without it, she'll—"

"Die?" Margaret finished for me. "How tragic."

I stared at her, unable to comprehend such callousness.

"You brought this on yourself," she continued, low enough that nearby guests couldn't hear. "If you had been loyal to my son, none of this would have happened."

"He's freezing all my assets," I whispered. "Even Sarah's medical fund."

Margaret's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Perhaps you should have considered that before betraying Duke."

She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Any further attempts to involve our family in your... situation... will have consequences for Danny."

My blood ran cold. "You wouldn't."

"We're his family," she replied simply. "Blood matters, Katherine."

---

"Katherine, darling!" Skylar's voice rang through the wedding planner's showroom. "The roses must be white peonies, not regular roses."

I nodded, jotting notes as the wedding planner nodded sympathetically at me.

"And the cake needs to be six tiers," Skylar continued. "With gold leaf accents."

The wedding planner glanced at me. "For how many guests?"

"Two hundred," Skylar replied. "All of Duke's closest friends and business associates."

I wrote it down, my hand steady despite the storm inside me.

"Oh, and Katherine," Skylar added as an afterthought, "Duke thinks Danny should start at Wellington Academy after the wedding. Boarding school will be better for him—give him the structure he needs."

My pen froze mid-note.

"Boarding school?" I repeated, my voice hollow.

Skylar's smile widened. "Yes, don't you think it's perfect? He'll be with children from similar backgrounds. Much better than trailing around after his... unstable mother."

The room tilted sideways as the implications hit me. Duke wasn't just taking my freedom—he was taking my son.

The antiseptic smell of the hospital room burned my nostrils as I slipped inside, clutching a small bouquet of daisies—Sarah's favorites. She lay still against the white sheets, her once-vibrant face now hollow and pale. The machines beeped steadily, counting down the precious moments we had left.

"Katherine," she whispered, her eyes fluttering open. "You came."

"Of course I came." I set the flowers on her bedside table and took her hand. It felt like bird bones wrapped in paper, so fragile I feared it might crumble.

Sarah's gaze drifted to the window, where rain streaked down the glass. "I dreamed about Mom and Dad last night. They were in the garden, just like before..."

I swallowed hard, fighting back tears. "They're watching over you."

"Katie..." Her fingers tightened around mine with surprising strength. "You need to promise me something."

Anything. I would have promised her anything in that moment.

"Take care of yourself," she said, her voice barely audible. "And take care of Danny. Don't let my illness consume you both."

"I'm trying," I managed, my voice breaking.

Sarah's eyes suddenly cleared, as if a fog had lifted. "You're not just trying. You're drowning." She reached for my wrist, her fingers ice-cold against my skin. "Where's Mom's bracelet? The one she always wore?"

I shook my head. "I don't—"

"It's in my drawer," Sarah interrupted, nodding toward the small cabinet beside her bed. "Get it."

I retrieved the antique silver bracelet, its delicate charms catching the dim light. Our mother had worn it every day until her death, and Sarah had kept it safe all these years.

"Put it on," she insisted.

I slipped it onto my wrist, the metal warm against my skin.

"Now listen to me." Sarah's eyes held mine with fierce intensity. "I release you from any obligation to save me. I want you to save yourself instead."

"What are you talking about?"

"Duke, this house, all of it—it's killing you faster than my cancer is killing me." Her words were blunt, cutting through my denials. "I don't want your sacrifice. I want you to live."

Something broke inside me then—a dam I'd built to hold back the truth. "He's taken everything, Sarah. The medical fund, my accounts, even Danny soon..."

"Then take back what's yours." She squeezed my hand one last time. "Promise me."

---

"I need those art supplies today," Duke announced over breakfast, not looking up from his phone.

"What art supplies?" I asked, my voice small.

"The ones in storage. Skylar needs them for her painting."

I froze, the coffee cup halfway to my lips. "Where?"

"The warehouse on Maple Street. You know, the old industrial district."

My hand trembled so violently that coffee sloshed over the rim. That warehouse—the same one where I'd been held captive eight years ago. Where I'd given birth to Danny in chains.

"I can't—"

"You can and you will." Duke's voice was ice. "Skylar's project is important."

Skylar smiled sweetly. "It's just a hobby, really. But Duke insists on the best supplies."

An hour later, we pulled up to the dilapidated warehouse. My heart hammered against my ribs as I stepped out of the car, Duke and Skylar following behind.

"It's just a building, Katherine," Duke said dismissively. "Don't be dramatic."

But it wasn't just a building. It was my nightmare made real.

The heavy metal door creaked as Duke pushed it open. Inside, dust motes danced in the shafts of light from broken windows. I stepped inside and froze.

There—in the corner—was where they'd chained me. Where I'd screamed in agony as Danny entered the world with only my kidnappers' reluctant assistance. The bloodstains were long gone, but I could still see them in my mind's eye.

My lungs constricted. I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.

"Katherine?" Duke's voice sounded distant, underwater.

I was hyperventilating now, gasping for air that wouldn't come. My vision blurred as panic overwhelmed me.

"This is ridiculous," Duke muttered. "Get a grip."

Skylar's laugh was sharp and cruel. I heard the click of her phone camera. "This will be perfect for Margaret. Proof of your instability."

---

I woke up screaming, my nightgown soaked with sweat.

"Mommy?" Danny's small voice called from his bedroom. "Are you okay?"

I rushed to him, gathering his warm little body in my arms. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry."

His eyes were wide with concern. "You were dreaming again."

I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.

"It's because of the bad house," he said solemnly. "The one where Daddy lives now."

My heart broke all over again. Even Danny could sense the toxicity of our situation.

---

The next morning brought new horrors. Skylar had moved her things into the master bedroom overnight, her clothes hanging beside Duke's in the closet that had once held mine.

"New rules," Duke announced over coffee. "You'll be staying in the servant's quarters from now on."

I stared at him, unable to process this latest humiliation.

"And these." He slid a list across the table. "Your new... responsibilities."

I scanned the document, my blood running cold.

*Ask permission to see Danny.*

*No leaving the house without approval.*

*Available to serve Skylar's needs 24/7.*

I looked up to find Duke watching me, his eyes cold and calculating.

"You've always wanted to know what it was like in prison," he said quietly. "Consider this your education."

Skylar leaned against the doorframe, her smile triumphant. "Don't worry, Katherine. I'll take good care of your son."

In that moment, something shifted inside me—a resolve crystallizing from fear and desperation. I touched the bracelet on my wrist, drawing strength from Sarah's final gift.

I would find a way out. Even if it killed me.