"So you're saying that when you woke up, no one came to serve you your bed tea, no one woke up the girls for school, breakfast wasn't prepared and when you went in their rooms..." The uncle slammed open the door to Emma and Olivia's room, then slammed open Mont's room beside it." You found them empty." The uncle ended the note with distaste and heavily. 

"Exactly Pierre, " Lady Sophia chimed in. " I told you. I told you not to trust those brats. They should have never entered our house, our lives. This is all because of you. Do you realize what you've done? We're all so used to them- Now, who'll serve lunch, my manicure and pedicure routine, brunch, day snacks, AND WHO WILL CLEAN THE HOUSE?!" 

"Enough Sophia. " 

"Enough?! ENOUGH?! YOU RUINED OUR LIVES PIERRE! This isn't just about me or our lifestyle but also our kids! That boy would tutor them- that girl would do all their things- THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT ME! Look at how you've done them a favour by bringing them into our house, clothing them, feeding them, bringing them up in a well-educated system! WHAT MORE DID THEY WANT?! They should be thankful! Instead, they couldn't even tolerate a few of the chores you gave them! " 

But there was much more to that. And so while Lady Sophia worried about losing her servants, Pierre thought about something else entirely.

"Sophia, I'm going to my study. Do not disturb me. " Pierre stood as straight as a statue, his hands clenched. The threat in his voice was not unusual, but there was only sometimes the man had steel in it. Lady Sophia questioned no more. Instead, she harrumphed, then sighed and put her arms around her two daughters. "Your father is a great man. But sometimes...

I'm scared of him. "

                                                                                          ...........

Pierre stood in front of his bookshelf for a long time. Then slowly, very slowly he slid his finger across the spines of each book. There was a sticker on each book that said, Pierre Mackenzie. Every book, except for one. His finger stopped on a navy blue coloured book. With a simple tug, the book slid off the shelf and into his hands. This book didn't belong to him. This book he stole. If you call it stealing anyway. In the middle of the book was a diamond carved in gold and in it, the initials: JP. 

Pierre sighed and sat down on his chair. " Stupid. You stupid, stupid man. Look at what you've done now. " 

With a flick of his wrist, he threw away the book. The book fell to the ground with a thud... and something else. Pierre stood up and examined the book. A green glass shard had fallen out of it. Pierre bent down on his knees. The shard had dried blood smudged on it. He picked up the shard. 

Drip!

He gazed up and around the room, startled by the noise. 

Drip!

He looked down at his hands. 

DRIP!