"I'm back," she continued softly, "and it's time for the mistress to know when to leave."
Her smile didn't waver.
"As long as you keep your mouth shut like you always have," she added lightly, "I won't make things harder for you."
The threat was gentle.
Polite.
But unmistakable.
As she spoke, Adriana casually unlocked her phone and tapped on a voice message, holding it just close enough for me to hear.
The recording played.
It was the little boy from yesterday.
His voice was bright, sweet in that practiced, childish way, but there was something smug underneath it, something that didn't belong to innocence at all.
"Auntie Adriana, wasn't I awesome? Don't forget the Transformers toy you promised me!"
The message ended with a soft click.
And just like that, everything fell into place.
Every detail. Every movement. Every perfectly timed reaction from last night.
It hadn't been an accident.
None of it had.
My instincts screamed at me to leave. To get out of there immediately before things escalated further. But before I could even take a step back, Adriana moved.
Fast.
She snatched the cup of tea straight out of my hands.
Before I could react, she tilted it and poured it over her own head.