Chapter 4 - Trapped in the Dark
The sudden darkness was thick and suffocating. Leo let out a sharp cry of terror, clinging tightly to Clara’s leg.
"Julian!" Clara called out, her voice echoing off the cold stone walls. "The door!"
Julian threw his weight against the solid iron door, but it didn't budge. "It's an electronic lock! Someone locked it from the outside!"
"How is that possible?" Detective Vance shouted, clicking on his heavy-duty flashlight and sweeping the beam across the room. "The officers were holding Eleanor in the foyer!"
"She wasn't working alone," Julian said, realizing the terrifying truth. "My mother never managed the family finances by herself. Her lawyer, Richard Sterling... he was supposed to be waiting downstairs in the library for the ceremony."
From the other side of the heavy iron door, a cold, muffled voice echoed through the small air vent near the ceiling.
"I'm sorry it had to end like this, Julian," Richard Sterling’s voice came through, smooth and devoid of emotion. "Your mother was careless. Letting the boy speak to Clara was her biggest mistake. I told her to send the child away weeks ago."
"Richard!" Julian slammed his fists against the door. "Open this door right now! There is a police officer in here with us!"
"Which makes my situation even more urgent," Richard replied calmly. "In five minutes, the ventilation system will reverse, pumping the backup generator's carbon monoxide directly into that vault. By the time the rest of the police force breaks through the mansion's main gates, you will all appear to have suffered a tragic accident."
"You're insane!" Clara yelled toward the vent. "He's just a child!"
"He is the sole heir to forty million dollars that I have spent five years transferring into my private accounts," Richard said coldly. "And today, the trail ends."
The quiet hum of machinery rattled through the walls as the ventilation fan reversed direction. A faint, sweet smell began to fill the small room.
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Leo squeezed Clara's hand, his chest heaving with panic. "Are we going to die like my mommy and daddy?"
Clara dropped to her knees, looking into the young boy's eyes with unwavering courage. "No, Leo. I promise you, nobody is going to hurt you ever again." She turned to Julian and Detective Vance. "Look around! There has to be another way out!"
