Chapter 1 - The Phantom Departure
I walked slowly around the island and crouched down until I was at eye level with her. “Tell me what's wrong.”
Chloe’s breath hitched. She looked over my shoulder, terrified that Beatrice might materialize in the kitchen doorway. “Grandma has a secret room,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Under the pool house. She takes me there when you and Mommy are gone. She says if I ever tell you, the monsters in the walls will take Mommy away forever.”
My blood ran cold. The sheer malice required to plant that specific fear into an eight-year-old’s mind was staggering.
I pulled out my phone and sent a rapid text to my head of security, Marcus, who was driving my car: Drive to the airport without me. Make it look authentic. I am staying on the property. Go to Code Red stealth.
I stood up, kissed Chloe’s forehead, and spoke in a normal, carrying volume. “Okay, sweetie. You be good for Mommy and Grandma. I have to go to New York now.”
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I winked at her, placing a finger to my lips. Understanding dawned in her teary eyes, and she gave a microscopic nod. I grabbed my briefcase, slammed the heavy oak front door loudly to simulate my exit, but stayed inside. I slipped silently into the hidden panic room behind the library's bookshelves—a feature the estate’s previous owner had built, which Beatrice knew nothing about.
Through the security monitors, I watched my car pull away. Ten minutes later, the cameras caught Beatrice walking across the manicured lawn toward the main house. She had a cold, predatory smile on her face. It was time to find out exactly who had infiltrated my home.
