Chapter 4 — Locked Doors and Hidden Grief

Mia

The Whitmore Estate loomed ahead as Mia stepped out of her car, the crunch of gravel under her heels the only sound in the still afternoon. Sunlight filtered through the ancient sycamore trees, casting long shadows across the manicured grounds. Everything here was pristine, controlled—a world meticulously curated to keep chaos at bay. Yet beneath the perfection, Mia sensed a heaviness, as though the estate itself bore the weight of untold stories.