Mrs. Brown stood silent for a moment, her eyes not leaving Evelyn's. The wind rustled softly through the orphanage courtyard, but the tension between the two women stood still like a heavy wall.
"What exactly do you wish to know?" Mrs. Brown finally asked, her voice sharp, yet steady.
Evelyn took a breath, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"I want to know if you have spoken to anyone about our secret, because everything seems to be falling apart… and I need to know if anyone has ever come here asking about the child."
Mrs. Brown's expression shifted. "What do you mean by, falling apart?"
Evelyn looked away briefly, almost like she was ashamed to admit the truth. Then her eyes returned, fiercer.
"I am on the verge of clinching everything I've fought for, everything I've sacrificed decades for… and suddenly, people I didn't see coming are threatening my victory.
I need to know if our secret, I mean your part in it, is still safe."
