Chapter 2
Julian reached the top of the staircase and immediately felt the shift in temperature. The second floor was always cooler than the grand parlor below, but today it carried a freezing, sterile draft that made the hair on his arms stand on end. He strode down the long corridor, his hard-soled shoes echoing loudly against the polished walnut floorboards. The doors to the guest suites stood wide open, their interiors impeccably tidy, untouched by human presence for weeks. He stopped directly in front of the master suite, the heavy double doors closed tightly, a brass privacy lock engaged from the inside. He knocked once, a sharp, authoritative rap that rattled the internal mechanism. No answer came from within, only the faint, rhythmic ticking of a grandfather clock echoing from the far end of the hallway. Julian tried the handle; it turned smoothly, but the bolt held firm. Panic, cold and sharp, began to pool in his stomach, replacing the fiery anger that had driven him up the stairs.
"Maren!" he called out, his voice cracking slightly on the second syllable, stripping away the polished facade he usually wore in public.
The silence that answered him was heavy, suffocating, and absolute. He remembered the last time he stood in this exact spot, three weeks ago, when Maren had promised him that everything was under control. She had looked pale then, her blue eyes dimmed by exhaustion and the endless legal battles surrounding her family trust. Julian threw his weight against the heavy mahogany door, but the frame held, reinforced by heavy steel deadbolts that Clara must have installed. He backed away, breathing heavily, his chest heaving beneath his grey suit. Where was his son? Leo was only seven years old, too young to wander this sprawling estate alone, let alone navigate the locked doors and hidden stairwells. Julian turned sharply on his heel, intent on dragging Clara up these stairs by her collar if necessary to get the keys. As he reached the top of the stairs, he looked down into the foyer. Clara was no longer standing by the parlor entrance. The space where she had composed herself just moments ago was now entirely empty. Only Maya remained below, staring up at him with wide, terrified eyes, hugging her beige dress around her shivering frame as if trying to shield herself from an invisible storm.
