Chapter 2: Echoes in the Cellar
By midnight, the grand mansion had fallen into an uneasy silence. The guests had been ushered out with brief, polite dismissals, and Victoria had left under the cold supervision of private security, leaving behind only the faint scent of expensive perfume and quiet indignation.
Nicholas sat on the edge of Lily’s bed. The nightlight projected soft constellations of stars across the vaulted ceiling of the nursery, but Lily refused to close her eyes. She remained tucked under the heavy quilt, her fingers tangled in Barnaby’s frayed ears.
""Is the dark coming back, Daddy?"" Lily whispered, her hazel eyes reflecting the artificial starlight.
""No, sweetheart,"" Nicholas said softly, brushing back a stray strand of her light brown hair. ""The dark is gone. I promised you when your mother passed that this house would always be safe for you. I broke that promise today, but I will never let anyone hurt you again.""
""She said Mommy left because I wasn't quiet enough,"" Lily whimpered.
A physical ache tightened in Nicholas’s chest. His late wife, Clara, had been the warmth of this fortress-like estate. Since her passing two years ago, Nicholas had thrown himself into running his architectural empire, mistakenly believing that financial security and bringing an elegant woman like Victoria into the house would restore order. He had mistaken outward decorum for genuine care.
Nicholas leaned down and kissed Lily’s forehead. ""Your mother loved your voice more than anything in the world. And so do I.""
After Lily finally drifted into an exhausted sleep, Nicholas walked down into the subterranean hallway of the west wing. He stopped before the heavy oak door of the old archives room—the place where Victoria had turned the brass deadbolt.
May you like
He ran his hand over the rough wood, noticing faint scratch marks near the bottom where a desperate five-year-old had tried to get out. Nicholas swallowed the bitter lump in his throat. Money had built walls, but it had also blinded him to what was happening within them.
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