Revenge is best served cold

Chapter 1409

Inside the grand, albeit empty, halls of Aldridge Manor, the silence was almost deafening. Odie had navigated the car into the underground parking, Jonah by his side, while Sophie sat quietly in the back, lost in her thoughts. She hadn't uttered a word during the entire drive.

Once they parked, Odie broke the silence, saying, "I'll give you half an hour. Can you get everything ready by then?"

"My things are already packed, thanks," Sophie replied softly. Her voice was so low it was almost drowned out by the ambient silence. Odie, either not hearing or choosing to ignore, continued, "Be downstairs in half an hour. Don't waste my time."

He stayed in the car, making it clear he was giving Sophie space. She stepped out and headed upstairs, into the heart of the manor.

Aldridge Manor was as imposing and stately as ever, yet it felt different-hollow and lifeless. Since Gordon had left a month ago, the once-bustling home had become eerily silent. No more footsteps on the stairs, no more doctors or specialists. Just a shell of what it once was.

smiles. Sophie vividly remembered running from the backyard to the living room,

in sunlight, smiling warmly at her. It was a comforting vision, but as she pushed the door open, reality set in the room was empty, and a

the Aldridge family, the reality was elusive.

be fully unraveled. With a sigh, she left the study, unaware of the photograph tucked away in the top drawer-a snapshot of her on the

liveliness of the Aldridge family had faded into a

cigarette. Jonah, curious,

ago," Odie replied casually, exhaling smoke. "We're here so she can face reality and say a

of the manor, but he sensed that something had shifted for Sophie. Gordon's departure wasn't a mere coincidence; it was an inevitable