Chapter 4 - The Broken Window
The metallic crash above sent a jolt of pure adrenaline through Julian’s veins. Without a word to Dr. Harris or Clara, he turned and sprinted up the grand staircase, taking the steps three at a time. His heavy leather shoes pounded against the carpeted risers, the sound echoing through the cavernous halls like gunfire. The memory of the poisoned cake downstairs fueled every ounce of his speed. If Robert—or whoever was wearing his ring—had reached Ethan’s room, there was no telling what horrors awaited behind that heavy oak door.
Julian burst onto the second-floor landing, his chest heaving. The hallway was bathed in the pale, slanting light of the late afternoon sun streaming through the arched stained-glass windows. Door after mahogany door lined the corridor, all closed, all silent except for the second door on the left—Ethan’s room.
"Julian, wait!" Dr. Harris’s voice called out from the stairs, breathless and strained. "Do not go in alone!"
Julian ignored the warning. He gripped the polished brass handle of Ethan’s door, turned it with a sharp twist, and shoved the heavy panel inward. The sight that greeted him made his blood run instantly cold. The room was empty. The bedclothes were tossed aside, and the large French doors leading to the second-floor balcony stood wide open, their glass panes shattered inward, sending sparkling shards across the Persian rug.
A cold gust of wind whipped through the open doors, fluttering the white sheer curtains like ghostly specters. Julian stepped cautiously into the room, his eyes scanning every corner. There was no sign of Ethan, no sign of an intruder, just the chilling evidence of a rapid, violent exit.
"Ethan!" Julian shouted, his voice cracking with desperation as he rushed to the balcony ledge.
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Below, the manicured lawns stretched out toward the dense perimeter woods, empty and serene in the fading light. But caught on a jagged shard of the broken glass frame was a scrap of dark fabric—the same material as Marcus's uniform jacket.
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