Chapter 5 - The Hidden Camera
Michael stormed back into the house, his jaw locked with a dangerous, cinematic fury.
But as he walked past the grand staircase, something caught his eye. It was the estate’s expensive, state-of-the-art smart home security panel glowing on the wall. Marcus had bragged about it last year. The system recorded high-definition video in the main living areas to "monitor the cleaning staff."
Michael knew Marcus’s master passcode. It was his own corporate firm's founding date.
Michael typed the code into the panel. Access Granted.
He quickly pulled up the archived footage from the living room, specifically looking at the dates from exactly three days ago. He sped through hours of mundane footage until he hit Thursday afternoon.
The video loaded.
Michael watched in absolute, paralyzing horror.
On the screen, little Sophia was sitting on the living room rug, quietly playing with her white stuffed rabbit. Elisa walked into the room, talking on her cell phone, looking incredibly stressed and angry.
Sophia accidentally knocked over a glass of water on the coffee table.
Elisa dropped her phone. She didn't yell. With a terrifying, cold-blooded swiftness, the elegant mother walked over, grabbed Sophia by the arm, and violently shoved the five-year-old girl backward.
Sophia crashed hard against the sharp, solid edge of the marble fireplace hearth.
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On the silent video, Sophia clutched her side, her face twisting in pure agony. Elisa simply grabbed a towel, wiped up the water, and walked out of the room, leaving her daughter crying on the floor.
👉 What will Michael do with the horrifying digital evidence?
