Chapter 7 - The Wildflower Bouquet
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Miles away in the city, the board meeting finished early. Edward stepped out of the office building into the crisp, cool night air. The rain had cleared, leaving the sky bright with stars.
He walked past a local flower stand on the corner. The florist was packing up a vibrant bundle of fresh wildflowers—daisies, yellow buttercups, and purple lavender.
Edward smiled, remembering how his mother used to spend hours in the fields when his father was still alive.
"I'll take those," Edward said to the florist, pulling out his wallet.
"A gift for someone special, sir?" the old florist asked cheerfully as he wrapped the stems in brown paper.
"My mother," Edward replied warmly. "She’s had a rough week. I want to brighten her day."
Edward drove back toward the estate, humming a soft, familiar tune his mother used to sing to him when he was a child. The warm bouquet rested on the passenger seat beside him. He felt a profound sense of peace, resolving in his mind that he would sit down with Victoria tonight and firmly put an end to her disrespectful behavior toward his mother once and for all.
He turned his car into the long, tree-lined driveway of the Vance estate. The mansion stood tall against the night sky, its windows dark except for the warm amber light glowing from the grand foyer.
Edward parked, grabbed the bouquet of wildflowers, and unlocked the heavy, double oak front doors.
May you like
"Mother?" Edward called out softly as he stepped inside. "I brought you something—"
A guttural, terrifying scream ripped through the silence of the estate.
