The Hart mansion had always been quiet at night.
Too quiet.
The kind of silence built from distance rather than peace, where every polished hallway, expensive chandelier, and carefully arranged piece of furniture existed more for appearance than warmth. Even the servants moved carefully inside the house as though the walls themselves disliked unnecessary noise.
Tonight, however, the silence carried tension beneath it.
Heavy tension.
The television mounted across the living room wall continued replaying the same entertainment segment for nearly the third time within the hour, and although nobody openly admitted it, every member of the Hart family sitting there had stopped pretending they were uninterested.
On the screen, Evelyn's teaser played again beneath glowing headlines.
HALCYON'S NEW FACE CONTINUES TO DOMINATE ONLINE DISCUSSIONS.
OVER FIFTY MILLION VIEWS IN LESS THAN TWELVE HOURS.
INDUSTRY INSIDERS CALL THE CAMPAIGN A MASSIVE SUCCESS.
