Mrs. Ward let out a sharp, cold laugh. "If those two were actually up to something, it would have happened years ago. Why wait until now?"

Sophia clung to that same thread of hope. Her daughter had never admitted to anything untoward with Julian, and now that they were all thrust into the countryside together, Sophia prayed it was an opportunity to clear the air.

"Where are the supplies you’ve gathered?" Mrs. Ward asked, her tone shifting. "You’re in no state to be running errands. Let me mail them for you."

Sophia felt a scratch in her throat. "I’ve... I’ve already sent them," she managed to say before a violent, chest-racking cough seized her.

Mrs. Ward recoiled several steps, her face twisted in a mask of pure revulsion. The woman was truly ill; she had no intention of catching whatever foul sickness Sophia was harboring.

"Well, if you’ve sent them, I’ll be on my way."

As she left, Mrs. Ward assumed Sophia had lied earlier about not sending anything simply to avoid an argument. After all, the neighbors were still whispering about how Seraphina had sabotaged Evelyn’s engagement. Sophia, as a mother, was likely just trying to keep her head down.

What Sophia hadn't managed to explain through her coughing fit was that Seraphina had already prepared her own winter gear. Feeling a debt of gratitude for how well Mrs. Ward treated her daughter, Sophia had decided to repay the kindness by sending her own meticulously gathered quilts and padded coats to Evelyn instead.

Ignorant of the switch, Mrs. Ward marched straight to a public telephone to call Dominic at Red Wolf Valley.

"Don't you dare go soft on her," Mrs. Ward barked into the receiver once Dominic picked up. "I don't care if she's your sister. Evelyn has committed too many sins and refused to repent. She needs to be taught a lesson. Do not give her a single thread of your winter supplies."

Dominic sighed, leaning against the cold wall of the village office. "Mom, you said you only sent one quilt and one set of clothes for Caleb. We don’t have anything to give her even if we wanted to."

"Good! Don't even think about it!" Mrs. Ward’s voice rose to a hysterical pitch. "If she begs, you turn your back. If she doesn't learn her place now, she’ll only cause bigger disasters later. Do you realize your father would have been Deputy Director by now if she hadn't offended Julian’s family? Years of his hard work, ruined by that girl!"

Dominic’s expression shifted through a series of dark emotions before he finally gave in. "I understand, Mom. No help. We'll let her learn the hard way."

"And Seraphina?" Mrs. Ward’s voice softened instantly. "How is she faring? I trust Evelyn hasn't been bullying her?"

Dominic hesitated, thinking of the "Meat Thief" incident. "She’s... managing. She didn't have to work the harvest."

Mrs. Ward exhaled, relieved. "She has a weak heart, and it’s all Evelyn’s fault she was dragged down there in the first place. You and Caleb look after her. Help her with the heavy lifting. Your sister owes her that much."

"I know," Dominic murmured.

"And if Evelyn tries anything, don't you side with her just because of blood. Our family values justice over kin. Seraphina is a good girl, fragile... be kind to her. Look out for her."

It was a script Dominic had heard since childhood. Mrs. Ward had spent years conditioning her sons to put Seraphina on a pedestal, a habit that had become as natural as breathing.

She hung up, feeling a profound sense of satisfaction despite the three-dollar long-distance charge. As long as Evelyn was suffering, Mrs. Ward could sleep soundly. Meanwhile, on the other end, Dominic winced at the cost he had to pay just to receive the call.

The next morning, Evelyn told Tess she was heading into the hills for firewood. Near Red Wolf Valley, one could gather fallen branches, but felling trees was strictly forbidden. Since the northern winters lasted half the year, the demand for fuel was astronomical; the nearby slopes were picked clean, forcing people to trek hours into the deeper woods.

Tess offered to go along, but Evelyn declined. Everyone was busy with winter prep—pickling cabbages and radishes—and Evelyn insisted she could handle a borrowed handcart on her own.

Once she was out of sight of the village and deep within the treeline, Evelyn vanished into the brush. When she emerged, the handcart was gone, and she was transformed.

She had raided the Ward family’s belongings stored in her spatial dimension. She wore an old jacket Dominic had outgrown years ago, a hat Caleb used to wear, and a charcoal-grey scarf of Mr. Ward’s wrapped high around her face. Topped off with a pair of Mrs. Ward's sturdy shoes, she was unrecognizable—a nondescript, bundled figure in the morning mist.

Before Julian left for town, he stopped by Evelyn’s place, only to be told by Tess that she’d been gone since dawn. With no other choice, he gathered Seraphina to help him. The shipment from his mother was supposed to be massive, and he couldn't haul it alone.

As for the Dominic brothers, they were already miles away in the forest, desperate to stockpile enough wood to keep their brick beds warm through the sub-zero nights.

In town, Julian collected his mail and money orders before claiming two enormous crates. Just as he’d promised, his mother had sent a double portion of everything.

Seraphina felt a surge of relief. She hadn't bothered to ask her own mother for supplies, betting everything on the fact that Julian wouldn't let her freeze. She was right.

They soon discovered that the Ward family’s packages had also arrived. After providing the necessary identification, Julian claimed those as well.

Seraphina, sensing an opportunity for more mischief, turned to the clerk. "Is there anything for an Evelyn Ward of Red Wolf Valley?"

The clerk checked the ledger. "Yes, there is."

A predatory light flickered in Seraphina’s eyes. "We’re from the same production team. We'll take it for her."

The result was a small mountain of crates and sacks piled on the post office steps. "It’s too much," Julian muttered, looking at the heap. "I’ll have to go find an ox cart. I don't want to leave you alone with all this, though."

Seraphina waved him off with a playful smile. "Go on, Julian. I’ll stay right here. As long as these packages are here, I’m here. If they disappear, I disappear!"

Julian laughed, reassured by her spirit, and hurried off to find transport.

The moment he rounded the corner, Evelyn—who had been lurking in the shadows all morning—wiped her nose against the cold and stepped out toward the mountain of supplies.