Chapter 8 - Clara’s Secret Mission
Down the hallway, hidden in the shadows of the linen closet, Clara held her breath as she watched the two guards drag her father toward the dark, narrow stairway leading down to the basement. She clutched the two remaining illustrated storybooks tightly to her chest, her young mind racing with a desperate plan. Elena had left the study door open in her haste to secure the master bedroom, and sitting right on the mahogany desk was her unattended smartphone, still unlocked and displaying the live security feed of the house. Clara crept out of the shadows on silent tiptoes, slipping into the study like a phantom. She scrambled up onto the heavy leather desk chair, her small fingers flying across the screen to locate the emergency contacts list. The police number was just a tap away, but as she reached for the call button, the study door suddenly creaked open behind her, and a cold hand clamped down firmly over her mouth.
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