Chapter 4 — Shadows of Doubt

Third Person

Judith Whittaker stood in the quiet opulence of her study, the faint scent of roses from the garden mingling with the polish of old wood. The room was a shrine to her daughter, Emma, adorned with framed photographs of her smiling face: her wedding day, a candid image of her holding a newborn Lily, and a childhood photo of Emma in front of the clocktower in the square. Judith’s sharp blue eyes lingered on the picture of Emma and Lily, her grip tightening around the delicate porcelain teacup in her hand, long gone cold. For a moment, she reached out and lightly touched the edge of the frame, her hand trembling ever so slightly before withdrawing.