“Please return to your vehicle, ma’am,” he said, his voice flat. “We don’t want to make this difficult.”

I looked at his hand, which was resting near the belt of his trousers.

He was armed.

I felt my mother’s hand touch my elbow, pulling me back gently.

“Natalie, let’s go,” she whispered.

I looked at her, surprised by the sudden change in her tone.

She wasn’t looking at Denise anymore.

She was looking toward the western wing of the estate, where the old stone wall met the cliff.

There was a strange, focused look in her eyes.

“We are leaving,” I told the guard.

I backed down the steps, keeping my body between my mother and the security team.

Denise did not look back as she walked inside and closed the heavy oak doors behind her.

We walked back to my car in silence.

The gravel crunched loudly under our feet.

I opened the passenger door for my mother, and she climbed in without a word.

I got into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

I put the car in reverse, backed around the courtyard, and drove down the long driveway.