Chapter 2 - The Secret of the East Wing
The silence in the grand hallway was so dense that the gentle crackle of distant fireplace embers resonated through the arches. Dominic rose slowly to his feet, holding the faded photograph as if it were made of fragile glass. His dark eyes shifted from the small girl on the floor to Elena, who stood frozen near the service door, her hands trembling against her black apron.
"Where did she get this photograph, Elena?" Dominic demanded, his voice dropping into a dangerous, icy tone that sent a chill through the mansion. "And why is Sophia’s picture in the hands of a maid’s daughter?"
Elena took a step back, her knuckles turning white as she pressed her arms against her waist. "Mr. Moretti... I found that photo in the old East Wing quarters four years ago... when I was hired to clean the storage rooms. I didn't mean any harm, I swear!"
Dominic’s jaw tightened. The East Wing had been sealed off since the tragic night Sophia’s convoy was blown up along the coastal highway. For four long years, he had lived under the bitter belief that his wife and unborn child were lost in the flames, buried in an empty family vault because no remains were ever recovered.
Suddenly, Lily reached out and tugged lightly at the hem of Dominic’s black trousers. "Mommy Elena said my real mommy went to live with the angels, but she gave me Mommy's music box from the locked room."
May you like
Dominic froze, his breath catching in his throat. The music box was a custom antique piece he had personally gifted to Sophia on their wedding anniversary—a item locked inside his private safe that only three people in the world had access codes to.
👉 Read PART 3 to discover the hidden message discovered inside Sophia's antique music box!
