Karol's expression shifted abruptly. She glared fiercely at Lilah.

“You think you're so tough? This time, we won't let you off the hook!"

She was on the brink of losing her mind, feeling a surge of hopelessness as it dawned on her that Lilah was slipping out of their grasp. The thought made her want to stab Lilah on the spot.

“Let's see how this plays out," Lilah said, raising an eyebrow and chuckling, completely dismissing Karol's threat.

Karol, seething with rage, pointed a finger at Lilah but found herself at a loss for words.

"Alright Kaden said as he patted Karol's shoulder to offer some comfort. "She won't be able to escape today. There's no need to get so worked up over her."

Then, he turned to Lilah and added, “Since you're so reckless, you'll have to come with us."

Kaden then spun a vase on the desk, and immediately, a wall in the study rotated, revealing a secret passage leading down.

Lilah observed the scene with quiet curiosity, a spark of interest in her eyes.

“After you," Kaden said, gesturing toward the passage.

Without showing any fear, Lilah moved forward. As she stepped through the doorway, a cold draft from below greeted her, making the atmosphere unsettling.

The hidden door opened onto a long spiral staircase. With each few steps, lights flickered on, and then went out one by one as they descended.

Lilah placed her hand on the wall, her mind racing with thoughts.

After what felt like an eternity, they reached the bottom, their footsteps echoing in the eerie silence.

Lilah's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the wall before her. It seemed innocuous, yet her instincts screamed otherwise-a facade masking another dark secret passage.

The Morris family residence, it seemed, was a fortress built on lies, each stone concealing a deeper shadow. Lilah couldn't help but wonder if Absolon was privy to these shadowy corners of his property.

Just then, Kaden stepped forward, his actions deliberate, almost ritualistic. With a series of precise taps, the wall responded with a low, ominous rumble. The thick stone shifted, rotated, and revealed a dungeon, the darkness within seeming to breathe, alive with menace.

In the farthest corner of that grim cell, Miranda lay crumpled, a fragile bird with shattered wings, her body battered and teetering on the precipice of death. Even the clamorous sound of the stone shifting failed to rouse her from the abyss.

The sight of Miranda-her lifeblood ebbing away-ignited a firestorm of rage within Lilah.

She surged forward, her hands gripping the iron bars with a desperation that echoed in her voice as she called out to Miranda, her tone soft yet laced with fear.

But Miranda lay still, unmoved, as if she had drifted too far into the abyss to hear Lilah's call.

"What have you done to her?" Lilah's voice cut through the air Like a steel blade.

Karol's Lips twisted into a sneer, her expression a grotesque mockery of triumph. “And who are you to question us? Soon, you'll be lying there just like her."

"Believe it or not, I'll kill you where you stand," Lilah hissed, spinning around, her eyes sharp as daggers, locking onto Karol with a gaze that could freeze blood.