She looked around the room, puzzled. “But... where is Great-Grandfather?”
Tommy quickly stepped forward with a teacup, kneeling in front of the main seat with exaggerated reverence.
“I’ve been waiting right here, holding this tea for him. The moment he walks in, I’ll be ready to serve him.”
Everyone stood by respectfully, playing their parts to perfection. Time passed. The sky began to darken. The mood turned tense. Sweat beaded on Tommy’s forehead. His legs trembled, numb from kneeling too long.
But the man he was waiting for—the one person who could shatter all their illusions—was just a few steps away. Locked inside a cage. Bleeding. Burned. Forgotten.
But the great-grandfather’s seat remained conspicuously empty. A servant burst in, out of breath and flustered.
“We’ve searched the entire house—he’s nowhere to be found. Could he have... gone missing?”
Sandra’s father, Robert Wilson, was drenched in sweat, his face pale with panic. “Keep searching! I don’t care if you have to dig up the whole estate—bring Great-Grandfather here!”
“Without him, my daughter’s engagement ceremony can’t continue. And forget about the family head position—it’ll all be over.”