Chapter 2 - Shadows on the Staircase
Julian stood up so fast his knees popped, the polished marble floor seemingly tilting beneath his weight. The realization that someone inside his own home had targeted vulnerable Ethan felt like a physical blow to his sternum. Clara pressed a trembling hand over her mouth, tears finally spilling over her lashes as she stared at the blue indicator light on Dr. Harris’s testing pen.
"Who had access to the kitchen between three and four o'clock?" Julian demanded, his voice dropping an octave into a dangerous, icy register that brooked no argument.
Clara swallowed hard, her voice shaking as she lowered her hand. "Only the kitchen staff, sir. And... and Marcus."
"Marcus?" Julian spun around to face her directly. "My head of security? Marcus was with me in the study reviewing the estate accounts."
"He left for ten minutes to check the perimeter gates, Mr. Vance," Clara whispered, casting a nervous glance toward the sweeping staircase.
Lilly remained seated on the floor, unfazed by the rising panic, her small fingers tracing a faint scratch in the marble tile. Dr. Harris stood up slowly, dusting off the knees of his dark trousers, his eyes grave and watchful. The atmosphere inside the mansion had shifted from one of elite luxury to a suffocating cage of suspicion. Every shadow now looked like an adversary, every creak of the old wooden floorboards a potential threat to the child upstairs.
"We need to secure Ethan's room immediately," Dr. Harris warned, his tone urgent as he placed a restraining hand on Julian's forearm. "If someone poisoned his dessert, they might not stop at a single poisoned slice."
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Julian nodded once, his jaw set in stone. He took two long strides toward the stairs, his white blazer catching the ambient light from the chandelier. He reached the bottom step and placed his hand on the mahogany banister, but stopped dead in his tracks. A small, crumpled piece of paper lay half-hidden beneath the lowest carpet runner, bearing handwriting that Julian recognized instantly as belonging to Marcus.
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