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At ke Martinez Vi, afternoon sunlight filtered through tall ss windows, painting
warm golden stripes across the polished marble floor.
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A silver tea set sat between ke and Grace Martinez, steam curlingzily from their cups.
The television murmured softly in the background, broadcasting the afternoon news.
ke Martinez satfortably in his armchair, one leg crossed over the other, calm andposed as always.
His wife, Grace, sat beside him, her attention half
on her tea and half on the television.
Then the news anchor’s voice sharpened with excitement.
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“…and in an unexpected turn of weather, Pine Mountain experienced its first snowfall of the season this morning…”
Grace straightened instantly. Her eyes widened as snowy images filled the screen. White nkets draped over pine trees. Roads glimmered under frost. Tiny figures yed in the snow.
Her heart stirred with a familiar ache.
‘Natalie… Oh, my dear baby. She might be lonely now there…‘
She ced her teacup down carefully, though her fingers trembled just a little. She turned her head toward her husband.
“Honey,” she called.
ke did not look up at first. He was looking at his tea, sipping and enjoying it far too peacefully. Grace narrowed her eyes and lightly nudged his
knee.
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“ke Martinez.”
He finally turned, one eyebrow raised. “Yes, my
love?”
Grace pointed at the television. “Look. When the first snow falls on Pine Mountain, we should go and visit Nat. She must be lonely there, Honey. You know how terrible loneliness is in winter.”
The calm expression on ke’s face vanished in
an instant.
His jaw tightened, and he set his cup down with deliberate control.
He sighed deeply before answering. “She will not be lonely. Besides, she has only been there for a few days, and you already miss her dearly?”
Grace rolled her eyes in annoyance.
“I did not say I miss her. I said it was the first snow. It would be fun to go there and meet our daughter.”
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ke leaned back, amusement slowly returning to his face.
“That is the same thing, my love.” He chuckled at the sight of her annoyance. “Can you stop pampering her? She is no longer a teenager. She is a grown woman who still acts like a child. Very spoiled.”
Grace gasped and ced a hand over her chest. “ke, do not make me hate you. She is my only daughter. Of course, I will pamper her all the
time.”
He did not answer. He only smiled, soft and fond.
“Fine,” She said. “If you do not want to go, then I will go today. I will stay there for a week. Do note after us.”
She began to rise from her seat, but ke reached out and caught her hand gently. His fingers wrapped around hers. He pulled her back
toward him just enough to make her sit again.
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“We will go,” he said, smiling gently at her. “But call her first. Maybe she needs something from the city. We can bring her something, right?”
Grace’s annoyance melted instantly. Her eyes brightened as she stared at ke.
“You are the best dad,” she said, already reaching for her phone.
“That, I already know,” ke shook his head fondly.
Grace dialed Natalie’s number. She held the
phone to her ear, waiting. But after thest ring Natalie did not answer.
She tried again.
Still nothing.
The line went silent after thest ring.
Her smile faltered. A frown formed between her
brows.
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“Why did she not pick up my call?” she murmured, more to herself than to ke. She tried a third time. No answer again.
She lowered the phone slowly. “ke…” Her voice wavered. “Did Nat hate me, too?”
ke’s expression softened instantly. He squeezed her hand reassuringly.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he said gently. “Our daughter adores you. Perhaps she is busy, or her phone battery died. You know she only has a special cell phone that receives our calls.”
“But what if something happened?”
ke lifted her hand and pressed a light kiss on
her knuckles.
“Then we will go and see her sooner,” he said calmly. “Together.”
Grace looked at him. In his eyes was steady warmth unshaken confidence and love that
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wrapped around her fears like a shield. Nevertheless, her heart felt worried.
The warmth of the living room did notst.
Just as Grace leaned against ke’s shoulder,forted by his steady presence, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed across the marble floor.
Their butler, Rudy, appeared at the doorway, breathing harder than he should have been. His usually neat hair was slightly disheveled, his pale face stripped of its professionalposure.
ke lifted his head. Something was wrong. He could see it instantly.
“Master,” the butler said hesitantly. His eyes flickered toward Grace before returning to ke. “There is something I need to tell you.”
“Then speak,” he said, frowning. The butler looked deathly pale, as if he had just received news of a
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death in his own family.
Rudy swallowed hard. His fingers curled tightly around the phone still in his hand.
“Sir,” he began, voice trembling despite his effort to remain respectful. “I just received a call from the family cabin. The maid who cleans the cabin said she found the young miss’s lifeless body…”
Grace shot from her seat, “What do you mean? What did you find?” she demanded, impatience and panic tangling in her voice.
ke immediately stood from his seat, grasped her hand, his hold firm though his heart had begun to pound violently.
“Grace, do not interrupt. Let him finish.” His voice remained calm, but a dangerous edge threaded through it. He nodded at the butler to continue.
Rudy took a shaky breath. “They found the youngdy’s lifeless body in the bathtub. She looks like
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shemitted suicide…”
Silence crashed into the room.
The ticking of the wall clock suddenly sounded unbearably loud. The gentle hum of the television seemed distant and unreal.
Even the sunlight streaming through the windows felt colder, as if the room’s temperature had dropped below zero in an instant.
Grace’s eyes widened. Her lips parted, but no sound came out.
Then her knees gave way. She copsed to the floor, her body going limp as though the strength had been ripped from her bones.
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<strong>Olivia Harris</strong> is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.