Chapter 2
Julian kept his voice soft and measured, carefully modulating his tone to soothe the escalating tension in the cramped room. He looked into Victoria’s calm, untroubled face, noting the way her blonde curls framed her rosy cheeks.
"Victoria, your mother died three years ago," Julian said gently, his words carrying a heavy, sorrowful finality that silenced Clara’s frantic sobs for a heartbeat.
Victoria didn't flinch, nor did she look away. Her small fingers tightened slightly around the stems of her white bouquet. The quiet in the room grew suffocating, broken only by the distant tuning of a cello from the garden patio. Clara stood trembling in her lace gown, her knuckles stark white as she gripped the edges of the antique vanity table. She had locked that locket away in the bottom of a cedar chest years ago, throwing the key into the river after the funeral. No one else knew the combination to the inner compartment, not even Julian. Yet here it was, dangling from a velvet ribbon in Victoria's small hand before the girl had seemingly handed it over or dropped it on the floor.
Julian reached out slowly, his movements deliberate to avoid startling either the weeping bride or the quiet child. He needed to handle this with extreme care, knowing how fragile Clara’s mental state had been since the loss of her mother. Gently, without breaking eye contact with the girl, Julian extended his thumb and forefinger to touch the vintage gold casing. The metal was surprisingly warm, almost as if it had been resting against someone’s skin only seconds prior.
"Where did you get this, sweetheart?" Julian asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
May you like
Victoria tilted her head, her expression remaining entirely serene, devoid of the guilt or fear one would expect from a caught thief. Instead, she looked at the tiny brass clasp with an expression of profound, quiet wisdom that seemed entirely wrong for her age. She didn't answer his question directly. Instead, her small finger reached out and tapped the intricately engraved latch.
"You have to open it," Victoria murmured, her voice carrying an strange, hypnotic certainty that left Julian momentarily paralyzed.
