Chapter 3
The afternoon shadows lengthened across the lawn, stretching long and claw-like over the blooming flower beds as the temperature dropped rapidly with the approaching dusk. Clara clutched the birthday cake tighter, the cardboard box damp from her sweaty palms, while her eyes darted frantically toward the dark windows of the house. The note from Leo burned in her pocket like a glowing ember, a constant reminder that their desperate plan to expose Dr. Harrison had been severely compromised. Through the open window of the second-floor study, the muffled sound of shattering glass suddenly shattered the quiet evening air, followed immediately by a heavy, metallic thud that vibrated through the foundation of the patio.
"And please like, follow and share," Clara whispered to the camera, her voice hollow and mechanical as she delivered the final rehearsed line that Dr. Harrison had forced her to memorize under threat of punishment.
The red recording light blinked once, twice, and then clicked off with a finality that made Clara’s stomach drop. The live stream was over, but the nightmare in the real world was only escalating. Before she could wheel herself toward the patio door, the heavy oak back door swung open with a violent crash, and Dr. Harrison emerged onto the stone landing. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing dark bruises along his forearms, and his expression was no longer just angry—it was terrifyingly calm. He walked slowly across the grass, his heavy loafers crushing the delicate petunias that lined the walkway without even looking down.
"Well, the viewer count was surprisingly high tonight, Clara," Dr. Harrison said, his voice dripping with false sweetness as he stopped right in front of her wheelchair.
"People love a tragedy, don't they? Especially when it features a cute little girl with a bandaged head and a sad little cake."
Clara kept her chin lifted, refusing to shrink back even though every instinct in her body screamed at her to run.
"Where is Leo?" she demanded, her voice far steadier than she felt inside.
"What did you do to him while I was sitting out here?"
Dr. Harrison smiled, a thin, humorless line that didn't reach his cold, dead eyes.
"Your brother made a very foolish choice, Clara. He thought he could outsmart the system, but he forgot who owns the servers."
He reached down and snatched the birthday cake right out of her hands, casually tossing the entire box onto the grass where the candles sputtered and died in the damp dirt.
"Now, let's go inside. We have a very important phone call to make to your dear aunt, and she needs to hear how badly you fell down the stairs."
Clara stared at the ruined cake on the lawn, the pink frosting melting into the mud, before slowly raising her eyes to meet Dr. Harrison's gaze.
"You didn't answer my question," she whispered, her voice dropping an octave as she reached into her pocket and felt the cold metal of the thumb drive still hidden safely against her skin.
May you like
"Is Leo still breathing?"
Dr. Harrison's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a dark, dangerous scowl as he grabbed the handles of her wheelchair and shoved the chair backward so hard the front casters lifted completely off the ground.
