Chapter 2 - The Hidden Passage
Mr. Duca stepped toward the heavy mahogany bookcase, his hand reaching for the concealed steel lever hidden behind a row of leather-bound law books. His heart pounded against his ribs as the sound of muffled gasps echoed from the darkness behind the wall.
Mia clung tightly to the back of his charcoal grey vest, her small fingers trembling against his crisp white shirt. Baby Lily stirred slightly in her carrier but remained asleep against Mia's back.
With a heavy metallic click, the concealed mechanism unlatched. The massive bookshelf swung outward on silent steel hinges, revealing a narrow, dust-filled stone staircase descending into the dark foundation of the Beacon Hill estate.
A faint, trembling voice called out from the shadows below. "Is... is someone there? Please help us!"
Mr. Duca instantly recognized the voice. It belonged to Sarah, the mansion's head housekeeper and Mia's mother, who had mysteriously disappeared two days prior after being accused of stealing high-value corporate bonds from the estate safe.
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Behind Sarah in the dim underground hallway stood two armed men in dark security uniforms—men hired not by Mr. Duca, but by his power-hungry stepbrother, Richard.
👉 Read PART 3 to learn why Sarah was locked beneath the mansion!
