The morning began quietly, but something in the air felt different.
The silence was heavier — as if the house itself were listening.
Alice was in the kitchen preparing tea when she realized Natalie was nowhere to be found. Kara noticed it too.
"Did she leave early?" Kara asked, leaning against the counter.
Alice looked toward the window.
"I didn't see her."
It was Rose who answered, entering through the side door with a thick coat and the kind of smile that carried no urgency.
"We went down to the creek. Just the two of us." She looked directly at Alice, letting the pause linger.
"Natalie's lovely company."
Alice gripped the handle of the kettle tightly.
"Don't take her out alone."
"Oh, relax," said Rose, still smiling.
"I know how to control myself."
Kara watched the exchange like someone trying to assemble a puzzle whose pieces didn't quite fit.
That afternoon, Rose suggested they all play cards. But as soon as the game began, she did everything to unsettle Kara — small questions, ambiguous remarks — while keeping Natalie entertained with laughter and whispered stories.
"You're very observant, Kara," Rose said, leaning slightly over the table.
"You must notice things… others don't."
Alice cut her off.
"Enough, Rose."
The look they exchanged carried the weight of years of unspoken arguments.
Later, while Natalie was upstairs, Rose brushed past Kara in the narrow hallway. The proximity was deliberate, her sweet, metallic perfume lingering in the air.
"It must be… hard," Rose murmured without turning her head.
"Liking someone who's too afraid to let you in completely."
Kara didn't reply, but her heart quickened.
When Rose climbed the stairs, Alice appeared — almost emerging from the shadows.
"Don't listen to her," she said in a tone lower than Kara had ever heard.
"Alice…" Kara began, hesitant.
"You don't have to protect me from her. I can handle it."
"It's not you she wants to test. It's me."
The silence that followed was broken only by the crackle of wood in the fireplace. The two stood face-to-face, and for a fleeting moment, it seemed the distance between them might break — that the fine line between protection and desire would finally snap.
But Alice stepped back first.
"Don't give her an inch."
Kara, still feeling the weight of her gaze, understood that the warning wasn't just about Rose.
The next morning, the snow had stopped, but the cold felt sharper. Rose proposed that Alice go to the nearby village to get supplies.
"I can go with you," Kara offered, but Rose was quick.
"No, don't. She's faster alone. We'll stay and look after the house, right, Natalie?"
Natalie, unaware of the tension, nodded cheerfully.
"We could bake something!"
Alice hesitated. Her eyes met Kara's for a brief moment — a silent plea for her to stay alert. Then she finally put on her coat and left, the sound of her footsteps fading into the snow.
As soon as the door closed, Rose's demeanor changed. Her soft smile gained a sharper edge.
"So… just the two of you here."
She moved toward the fireplace, absently turning a ring on her finger.
"You know, Kara, I understand why Alice likes you so much. It's rare for her to care about anyone."
Kara folded her arms.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Rose gave a low laugh.
"Oh, you do. I can hear your heartbeat race every time she gets close."
Natalie looked between them, confused.
"Guys, what's with the tension?"
Rose turned to her, voice suddenly sweet.
"Nothing, darling. Just chatting. Speaking of which… have you thought about taking a walk outside? It's beautiful today."
"But it's cold…" Natalie laughed.
"I can keep you warm," said Rose — and though her tone was playful, Kara felt a chill that had nothing to do with the weather.
Rose suggested the two of them go into the woods to gather firewood, insisting it was safe. Kara saw the ploy immediately — separate Natalie, keep her alone with Rose.
"I'm coming too," Kara said firmly.
Rose arched an eyebrow.
"Afraid I'll steal your friend?"
"I'm afraid of what you might do to her."
The silence that followed was heavy. Rose smiled — not out of amusement, but out of recognition.
"Interesting… you're more like Alice than you think."
Before things could escalate, the sound of the door opening echoed through the hall. Alice was back, carrying bags, but her eyes swept the room instantly — as if she could sense the tension still thick in the air.
Rose stepped back a few paces, slipping effortlessly back into the role of pleasant hostess.
"Look at that, perfect timing."
But Kara knew — it wasn't over. It had only just begun.
And at that moment, with her heart still pounding, she realized that the line between danger and desire wasn't just blurring — it was about to vanish.
The afternoon faded faster than expected. The gray sky darkened, and the snow reflected the dim light like a ghostly carpet.
Rose seemed restless, pacing the house like a predator in a cage. Until suddenly, she appeared in the living room.
"Natalie, Kara… let's go enjoy the view before it gets dark. I want to show you something incredible from the valley."
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," said Kara, feeling Alice's earlier warning echo in her mind.
"It'll be quick," insisted Rose, her soft smile not reaching her eyes.
"Just a few minutes."
Natalie, excited, was already grabbing her scarf.
"Oh, come on! We'll be back before Alice even notices."
Reluctantly, Kara followed, keeping herself between Natalie and Rose as they crossed the clearing. The cold bit at her skin, but what truly unsettled her was the sense that every step took them farther from safety.
When they reached a small ridge, Rose stopped and turned, her face half-shadowed by the fading light.
"You know, Kara… you really are intriguing. You don't fall for my words easily, but… what if I told you Alice isn't who you think she is?"
"I know more than you think," Kara said, her voice steady.
Rose smiled — like someone humoring a child's defiance.
"Then you know being near her is… dangerous."
Kara didn't answer. She felt Natalie take a nervous step back.
Suddenly, Rose moved — too fast, a blur of motion. Kara instinctively pushed Natalie behind her.
Before anything worse could happen, a gust of freezing wind tore through the air, and Alice appeared at the edge of the path, her eyes dark and intense.
"Let them go, Rose."
Rose stopped just inches from Kara and smiled, as if Alice's arrival were part of her plan.
"You got here fast…" She stepped back, but her gaze remained locked on her sister.
"Always the protector… as if that could change the ending."
She turned and started walking away, her boots sinking into the snow. Before vanishing among the trees, she cast one last glance toward Kara — one filled with promise.
"See you back at the house."
The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the quick breaths of Kara and Natalie.
Alice stepped forward, placing a hand on Kara's arm — more to make sure she was unharmed than to guide her back.
"You shouldn't have gone."
"I didn't have a choice," Kara said, still trying to process what had happened.
Alice's eyes met hers — for a moment too long, too intense.
"Next time… stay with me."
And with that, they returned to the house.
But Kara knew — after that night, nothing would ever be the same again.