On the plane back to Khogend, Stanley mumbled throughout the flight. Felicia reclined in her seat, eyes closed, appearing peacefully asleep. Stanley scratched his head, wisely remaining silent. Then, he heard Felicia ask, "Any news from Stephan?"

"None," he replied.

"Oh."

Felicia opened her eyes. Her last contact with Stephan was three days prior; he'd mentioned a lack of signal before the line went dead. She'd tried calling twice since, but each attempt failed to connect. He'd been gone nearly ten days. Could something have happened?

Gazing out the plane window, she saw they were flying over Khogend. The winding lights below resembled sparkling stars. Stanley attempted to reassure her, saying, "Don't worry, ma'am. If there's any news from Mr. Russell, I'll inform you."

"It's okay," Felicia replied, smiling faintly.

With Imogen's volatile temper and threats to sever ties with Stephan, would he defy his sister under such circumstances? Why complicate matters?

Felicia fell silent. By dawn, she arrived home. The villa was brightly lit; shadows moved behind the full-length windows. Initially, she feared a burglar. However, upon entering, she saw the maids, remembering Stephan's prior arrangements for their presence—some for cleaning, others for her meals. He'd even joked about preparing her for married life, integrating them into her routine.

Only then did Felicia realize how pervasively, though subtly, he'd imprinted himself on her life. How infuriating! That bastard!

She pressed her temples, feeling a frustrated laugh caught in her throat. Exhausted from a sleepless night, her mind raced while her body ached.

Dragging herself upstairs, she prepared to sleep. A maid approached, respectfully asking, "Miss, we prepared some oatmeal. Would you like some?"

"No, thank you. I'll have it later. Thank you for your hard work."

Felicia had planned to determine arrangements for the maids—perhaps simply hiring them and negotiating wages later—but lacked the energy. She postponed the matter, deciding to rest first.

Returning to her bedroom, Felicia collapsed onto the bed, wrapped herself in the blanket, and fell asleep.

The sound of an ancient, distant bell rang.

Fuck! That was it! This couldn't continue!

Felicia awoke, startled, to find herself not in bed. Cold sweat drenched her; chills raced down her spine, raising the hair on her arms. She'd sleepwalked again.