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Shadows Of The Past 

When you

Charlotte led Jasmine to her room, “baby, you have to rest now okay? Tomorrow is school.” 

“Mommy, sing me a lullaby..” Jasmine said, her thiny hands crawling to her mother's lap.

“Okay…” Charlotte said, heaved and started patting Jasmine as she sang her a lullaby.

Soon, Jasmine slept off and Charlotte was relieved. She stood up and found her way back to where Astor was.

Astor was still seated, his arms folded as he stared straight at the fire but, immediately she entered, his gaze shifted to her.

The sitting room was dimly lit, Charlotte sat curled up on one end of the couch, her hands wrapped tightly around a mug of tea. Across from her, Astor leaned back in an armchair, his gaze fixed on her as if waiting for her to speak.

She stared into her mug, her thoughts far away. Finally, she broke the silence. “I’ve never told anyone about this before,” she began, her voice barely above a whisper.

Astor’s brows furrowed, and he leaned forward.

“My mother,” Charlotte continued, her tone laced with sorrow. “She was everything to me. Kind, patient, always smiling, even when things were hard.”

Astor stayed silent, letting her set the pace.

“One night,” Charlotte said, her voice trembling, “I lost my doll. It was my favorite. She’d made it for me herself, stitched every detail by hand. I was devastated.”

Astor’s eyes softened as he watched her struggle to keep her composure.

“She went out to look for it,” Charlotte said, her grip tightening on the mug. “It was late, and the woods were dark, but she didn’t hesitate. She told me she’d be back soon.”

Charlotte paused, her breath hitching. “But she didn’t come back. Not that night. Not ever.”

Astor’s jaw tightened, his hands clenching into fists as he listened.

“They found her the next day,” Charlotte said, tears welling up in her eyes. “In the woods. Dead.”

She wiped at her cheeks quickly, as if ashamed of her emotions. “They said it was an accident. That she must have tripped and hit her head. But I always felt like there was more to it, something they weren’t telling me.”

Astor’s voice was low when he spoke. “Did they investigate?”

Charlotte shook her head. “Not really. We weren’t an important family. No one cared enough to look deeper.”

The bitterness in her voice wasn’t lost on Astor. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’m sorry, Charlotte,” he said, his tone sincere. “You didn’t deserve that. Neither of you did.”

Charlotte nodded, her throat tight. “I blamed myself for years,” she admitted. “If I hadn’t lost that stupid doll...”

“Stop,” Astor said firmly, his gaze locking onto hers. “It wasn’t your fault.”

Charlotte looked at him, a bit surprised.

\---

Meanwhile, Brandon was wrapping up his nightly duties, his clipboard tucked under his arm as he made his rounds.

“Elena,” he called out, spotting the young maid near the dining room.

“Yes, Mr. Brandon?” she asked, turning quickly.

“Make sure the terrace is cleared before you clock out,” he said. “Mr. Harrington likes it spotless in the mornings.”

“Of course,” Elena said, nodding.

Brandon gave her a brief smile before moving on. As he walked through the halls, he passed Quinn, who was carrying a tray of tea.

“Burning the midnight oil, are we?” Brandon quipped.

Quinn rolled her eyes. “As if I have a choice. Mr. Harrington’s orders.”

Brandon chuckled. “Good luck with that.”

\---

Back in the sitting room, Charlotte set her mug on the coffee table, her hands trembling slightly.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

Astor frowned. “For what?”

“For listening,” Charlotte said. “For not dismissing it like everyone else did.”

Astor leaned back in his chair, his gaze thoughtful. “They were wrong to dismiss it,” he said. “You deserve answers.”

Charlotte shook her head. “It’s too late for answers,” she said. “She’s gone. Nothing will bring her back.”

Astor didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he studied her, his mind racing. Something about her story didn’t sit right with him, the way her mother’s death had been brushed aside, the lack of an investigation.

“Charlotte,” he said carefully, “did anything ever seem... off? About the way people acted after she died?”

She hesitated, her brows furrowing. “Now that you mention it, yes,” she said slowly. “The sheriff seemed nervous when he told us what happened. And my aunt said she overheard him arguing with someone the day after they found her body.”

Astor’s jaw tightened. “What did they argue about?”

Charlotte shook her head. “She didn’t know. She just said it seemed heated.”

Astor’s protective instincts flared as he listened. He didn’t believe in coincidences, and this sounded like more than just an accident.

\---

Outside the sitting room, Jasmine was wandering the halls, clutching her stuffed bear as she peeked into various rooms. 

Jasmine had pretended to be asleep, so Charlotte would go.

She wasn’t tired yet, despite Charlotte’s earlier attempts to put her to bed.

She passed Brandon, who raised an eyebrow at her. “Shouldn’t you be asleep, young lady?” he asked, his tone teasing.

“No, I want to play so more.” Jasmine said.

“No, you should go meet daddy and mommy okay?” Brandon gestured. “They’re in the sitting room,” Brandon said, pointing down the hall. “But don’t stay up too late, alright?”

Jasmine nodded, her curls bouncing as she ran off.

\---

Inside the sitting room, Astor was leaning forward again, his elbows on his knees as he looked at Charlotte.

“Do you ever think about going back?” he asked.

“To the woods?” Charlotte asked, frowning.

“To where it happened,” Astor clarified. “To see if there’s anything left. Anything that could give you closure.”

Charlotte hesitated. “Sometimes,” she admitted. “But it’s been so long. Would there even be anything left to find?”

“You’d be surprised,” Astor said.

Charlotte studied him, her expression wary. “Why are you so interested in this?”

Astor hesitated, debating how much to say. “Because it matters,” he said finally. “Because you deserve to know the truth.”

Before Charlotte could respond, the door burst open, and Jasmine ran in, her laughter filling the room.

“Mommy! Daddy!” she called, “I tricked you..” she laughed.

“Jasmine!!!” Charlotte screamed.