CHAPTER SEVENTY EIGHT - DANGEROUS CLUES

As they left the secret room, hand in hand, Anna felt a newfound sense of belonging. For the first time since arriving at the mansion, she truly believed she had a place here – by Erik's side. However, their moment of connection was short-lived. Over the next few days, Vanessa's manipulations escalated, driving a wedge between Erik and Anna with a series of carefully orchestrated misunderstandings. It started small – a misplaced item here, a miscommunicated message there. But soon, more insidious doubts began to creep in. Erik would find anonymous notes in his study, hinting at Anna's supposed dishonesty. Conversations would be twisted, with Vanessa subtly planting seeds of doubt in Erik's mind about Anna's true intentions. Anna, for her part, found herself increasingly confused and frustrated. She could sense Erik's growing paranoia, feel the weight of his questioning gaze on her more and more frequently. But every time she tried to address the issue, Vanessa seemed to appear out o