Chapter 4 — Scandal in the Headlines

Third Person

The morning broke over the Hudson estate with a muted, gray light that seeped through the curtains, casting long shadows across the polished floors. Frost clung to the windows in intricate, crystalline patterns, blurring the stark lines of the landscape outside. Inside, the air was thick with an unspoken tension, its weight pressing down on Olivia as she sat at the far end of the sprawling dining table. Her hands cradled a porcelain cup of tea, though the liquid within had long gone cold. The ornate chandelier above cast a cold, sterile glow over the room, mirroring the chill that settled deep into her bones.