Hera dried her damp hair and got into bed to sleep.
In the dimly lit hallway, the door of the adjacent room crept open. Simultaneously, another figure emerged from the staircase landing.
Two figures stealthily approached Hera's door. Their movements halted when they heard each other.
After a moment of confusion, they both whispered, "Shh!"
The two figures were Gideon and Lilith.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?"
Both whispered in unison. Then, they exchanged knowing glances toward Hera's door.
Light seeped out from under the door, but there was no sound from within to confirm if Hera was asleep.
"Hera came back alone in a taxi," Lilith said.
At noon, Hera mentioned she had plans with a friend and wouldn't be back for dinner. She had gone out and unexpectedly returned only in the early hours of the morning.
"Yeah, I know."
Gideon refrained from mentioning the black Audi following Hera's taxi. He was wary of exacerbating Lilith's concerns.
Once Hera disembarked and entered the gate, the Audi parked at the corner. It waited there until she went inside and only left after a considerable time had passed.
"It's good that she's returned."
Lilith breathed a sigh of relief.
"Did Hera used to come back this late before?" Gideon asked with a slight frown.
"No, not when she lived at home. But after moving out..."
Lilith recalled Giselle mentioning the photo of Hera with a young guy, which left her feeling uneasy. Yet, she also worried about coming off as nagging if she prodded too much.
"What's wrong?"
The tightly closed door abruptly swung open and startled Gideon and Lilith.
At the same time, a thud echoed from the other end of the hallway. It took them a moment to adjust to the light spilling from the room.
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