Silas's POV
The butler appeared the moment I crossed the threshold of the mansion. His posture snapped rigid, hands clasped behind his back, eyes immediately falling to the marble floor like my unexpected arrival had caught him off guard.
"Welcome home, Sir," he murmured with a practiced bow.
I didn't spare him more than a glance as I stripped off my jacket and threw it across the leather sofa near the entrance. The familiar scent of furniture polish and faint lavender hung in the air, but something felt different tonight. Everything seemed too pristine, too carefully arranged.
"Mm." The sound came out flat. I wasn't in the mood for pleasantries. My dress shoes echoed against the polished marble as I moved deeper into the house.
