Chapter 1 - The Silver Baptism
The dining room smelled of roasted duck and Chanel No. 5.
A crystal chandelier hung heavily from the ceiling, casting gold-fractured light across the long wooden table.
Eleanor stood at the head of the table.
Her dark red, off-the-shoulder gown absorbed the light, like a velvet shadow.
Her manicured fingers gripped the handle of an antique silver pitcher.
The knuckles were paper-white.
Below her sat Lin.
Lin wore a light blue dress, the fabric pulled taut over the heavy, undeniable curve of her pregnant belly.
She kept her eyes closed.
The first drop of iced water hit Lin’s scalp with a muted snap.
Then, the deluge.
Eleanor tilted the heavy silver spout.
A freezing cascade of water flattened Lin’s dark, silken hair against her skull.
Lin did not flinch.
Her hands, resting on her unborn child, curled inward.
Her fingernails bit crescent moons into her own palms.
The water trailed down her pale cheeks, cutting through the powdery warmth of her makeup.
It seeped into the delicate lace of her blue neckline.
The silver pitcher caught the chandelier’s glare, flashing like a blade.
Eleanor’s wrist didn't tremble.
She poured until the pitcher was utterly empty.
The last drop hung from the silver lip, hesitated, and fell onto Lin’s collarbone.
A heavy silence smothered the dining hall.
The only sound was the rhythmic drip, drip, drip of water hitting the polished mahogany floor.
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Lin’s chest rose and fell in shallow, measured breaths.
She kept her eyes tightly shut, sealing the world away.
