Chapter 2 - The Automated House
Just three minutes before the towels crashed to the floor, the hallway had been entirely silent.
Claire had been walking back from the kitchen with a glass of water when she stopped dead in her tracks outside the boys' bedroom doors. She frowned, her nose twitching. Drifting upward from the ornate brass ventilation grate near the floorboards was a strong, cloying, artificial floral scent.
It was sharp. Chemical. And it made the back of Claire’s throat burn instantly.
"What is that?" Claire whispered to herself, crouching down on the marble to get a closer look at the dark metal slats.
Footsteps approached from behind. It was Vincent, the boys' father. He was a handsome man in his thirties, wearing a tailored dark suit. But his tie was loosened, his shoulders slumped, and his dark eyes were heavy with the agonizing exhaustion of watching his children suffer.
"What?" Vincent frowned, stopping behind her, completely unaware of the invisible danger filling his home.
Claire stayed crouched near the grate, studying the faint, misty residue clinging to the brass edges.
"When was this ventilation system last inspected?" Claire asked, her voice urgent and laced with deep suspicion.
Vincent shook his head, rubbing his tired temples. "I don't know, Claire. The house is automated. Eleanor had a smart-climate system installed last month so we could regulate the temperature in every room perfectly. Why?"
Claire’s blood ran ice cold. Eleanor. Vincent’s new, incredibly wealthy, and flawlessly elegant fiancée.
Before Claire could tell Vincent about the burning chemical smell, Vincent’s phone buzzed with an emergency work call, forcing him to step into his study.
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That was when Mrs. Harper had walked around the corner and dropped the towels.
👉 What will the terrified house manager reveal about the new fiancée?
