Chapter 2: Shadows Beneath the Floorboards
Victor’s grip on Eleanor’s arm did not loosen, even as she flinched against the cold pressure of his fingers. The two bodyguards shifted slightly, their eyes scanning the perimeter of the dining room as if anticipating an ambush. Clara shrank back into her chair, clutching the wet fabric of her beige dress around her shoulders, watching the adults clash with wide, terrified eyes. The mention of the dead woman—the one whose name was never spoken within these granite walls—had shattered the fragile illusion of peace Victor and Eleanor had maintained for five long years.
“Let go of me, Victor,” Eleanor said, her voice dropping an octave, losing its previous hysteria and replacing it with a chilling, calculated calm. “Unless you want the police to find out what really happened to the trust fund.”
Victor didn’t flinch. Instead, a grim smile touched the corner of his mouth. “The trust fund is already frozen, Eleanor. I contacted the auditors this morning. Every account, every shell corporation, every single cent tied to your maiden name is currently locked down pending an investigation into identity fraud.”
Eleanor’s breath hitched. For the first time since she had walked into this mansion as a blushing bride, genuine terror flickered across her features. She looked past Victor’s shoulder toward the grand staircase, as if measuring the distance to safety. But the bodyguards blocked the path.
“You wouldn’t dare,” Eleanor hissed, her fingernails digging into Victor’s sleeve. “If I go down, I am taking the girl’s lineage with me. You will never know the truth about who her real parents were.”
Clara gasped from the table, the word lineage echoing in her young mind. She stood up abruptly, knocking her heavy mahogany chair backward. It hit the marble floor with a deafening crash. Both adults turned to look at her. Clara wasn't crying anymore; her eyes burned with a fierce, burning curiosity that overshadowed her fear.
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“What did you just say about my parents?” Clara demanded, stepping forward.
Before anyone could answer, the mansion’s main security panel by the hallway entrance began to beep frantically, signaling a perimeter breach at the eastern gate.
