Chapter 1: The Broken Mirror
Leo stood frozen on the landing of the grand wooden staircase, his small hand trembling as he pressed the black smartphone harder against his ear. The plastic casing felt cold against his skin, slick with his own nervous sweat. Below him, the bright, luxurious entryway gleamed with polished marble, but the sight of his mother lying motionless near the spilled white bucket cast a heavy, suffocating shadow over the house. Tears blurred his vision, but he refused to wipe them away. His heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird.
"Ethan, please come home!" Leo sobbed into the phone, his voice cracking with a raw, desperate terror. "Mommy is bleeding again!"
Downstairs, the maid, Elena, knelt frantically by the puddle of soapy water, her maroon and white uniform stained. She pressed a trembling hand to her mouth, her dark hair slipping loose from its tightly tied band.
Suddenly, the heavy front oak doors swung open. Julian, wearing a sharp grey suit, stepped inside alongside Madison, who wore a matching maroon pantsuit. Their expressions shifted instantly from casual confidence to cold alarm as they took in the chaotic scene.
Without a second thought, Leo bolted down the steps, his blue t-shirt with the American flag print flapping against his chest. He bypassed the weeping maid entirely and threw his arms around Madison’s waist, burying his face in her expensive fabric. He pointed a shaking finger straight at the man in the grey suit, his grief instantly morphing into a white-hot fury.
"No, Madison pushed Mommy!" Leo screamed, his voice echoing off the high vaulted ceilings.
Julian stood completely paralyzed, his face draining of all color. The tense, shocked expression on his face hardened into something unreadable. He stared straight ahead at the child, refusing to look down at the woman bleeding on the floor.
"Leo, sweetheart, you're confused," Madison whispered, her voice dripping with a practiced, soothing honey that didn't reach her eyes. She rested a manicured hand on the boy's shoulder, her grip terrifyingly tight. "Your father and I just walked through that door together. We have witnesses."
Julian found his voice, though it sounded hollow and metallic. "Put the phone down, Leo. Who were you really talking to?"
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Leo stared up at his father with a look of absolute betrayal, his mind racing as he realized the older man wasn't going to help.
"I was talking to Ethan," Leo spat back defiantly. "And he heard everything you said before you hung up."
