Chapter 2 - The Silver Key
Julian felt as though the floor beneath his feet had suddenly dissolved. He turned his head slowly toward his son, his breath catching in his throat as cold sweat beaded along his neck.
"What did you just say, son?" Julian whispered, his voice trembling with sheer terror.
Leo didn't flinch. Slowly, calmly, the small boy opened his right hand. Resting in his small palm was a tiny, antique silver key, tarnished with dark patina.
"Mommy didn't run away..." Leo murmured, his unblinking dark eyes fixing on Julian's pale face. "She left you a message under the floor."
The housemaid dropped the piece of lace, scrambling backward in fear. Julian fell to his knees beside his son, his hands shaking as he took the small silver key from Leo's palm.
"Leo, look at me," Julian pleaded, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. "When did Mommy give you this key? Why didn't you tell me three years ago?"
"Mommy said if I showed it to you before I turned six, the bad person would make me go away like her," Leo answered softly, his tone completely flat. "She said I had to wait until the wedding suite was unlocked again."
Julian felt a wave of nausea wash over him. Three years ago, Julian’s ambitious stepmother, Victoria, had immediately closed off the bridal suite after Evelyn’s disappearance, claiming it brought "too much grief" to the family estate.
May you like
The room had remained locked under Victoria’s personal key until today, when the housemaid was ordered to clean it for Julian’s upcoming forced engagement to Victoria’s wealthy niece.
👉 What is hidden beneath the loose wooden floorboard that Victoria spent three years trying to lock away?
