Chapter 3
Sarah stopped just inches away from Maya, the faint aroma of expensive jasmine perfume cutting sharply through the cedar scent of Julian’s suit. She knelt down until her eyes met the little girl’s defiant gaze, maintaining a disturbing level of calm.
"Maya, listen to me very carefully," Sarah whispered, her fingers resting lightly on the straps of her black long-sleeve blouse. "People change. Things get left behind when people leave in a hurry. Your mother left those clothes in that closet because she didn't want them anymore."
"You're lying!" Maya yelled, tears finally spilling over her lashes as she stamped her foot on the Persian rug. "Mommy never leaves her clothes behind! She took everything when she went to Grandma's house!"
Julian exhaled a heavy, ragged breath, running a hand over his short hair and neatly trimmed beard. He looked exhausted, cornered by his own daughter's relentless memory.
"Maya, stop it right now," Julian warned, his voice cracking with suppressed panic. "Go upstairs to your room immediately. We are not having this conversation tonight."
"Why are you protecting her, Daddy?" Maya sobbed, pointing a shaking finger at Sarah. "Why are you letting her sleep in Mommy's bed?"
Sarah’s smile vanished instantly, replaced by a dark, knowing smirk. She stood up slowly, smoothing the red pencil skirt down her thighs with agonizing precision.
"She doesn't know, Julian," Sarah murmured, looking up at the towering man in the brown suit. "She honestly has no idea where her mother really went, does she?"
Julian froze, his face turning pale under the warm glow of the crystal chandelier. He shot a terrified look at Sarah, silently begging her with his eyes to shut her mouth.
Maya wiped her wet cheeks with the sleeve of her green school uniform, her breath hitching as she stared back and forth between the two adults. Something was deeply wrong. The adults were hiding a terrifying secret, and the anxiety in the room was suffocating.
"What do you mean?" Maya whispered, her voice barely audible. "Where is my mommy, Daddy?"
Julian swallowed hard, taking a step toward his daughter with his hands raised defensively.
"Don't listen to her, Maya. Sarah is just confused. Go upstairs, please."
Maya ignored him. She took two steps back, away from her father, and bolted toward the grand staircase. Her small sneakers pounded furiously against the hardwood steps as she ran toward the master bedroom. She had to see for herself. She had to find out what was hidden behind that locked door.
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She reached the top landing, her chest heaving for air, and rushed down the dimly lit hallway. The door to the master suite loomed ahead of her, dark and imposing. With trembling fingers, she wrapped her hand around the brass doorknob and twisted it. To her absolute shock, the door swung open silently.
The room was pitch black, but a thin strip of light from the hallway illuminated a horrifying sight on the king-sized bed. Maya screamed, stumbling backward against the wall, her eyes locked on the blood-stained red pencil skirt draped over the pillows.
