Chapter 2 - The Crying Heir
Emma pointed her gloved finger directly into the dark wall cavity, her face burning with horror and fierce outrage as she turned to face the room.
"She locked him behind the wall!" Emma declared, her voice shaking with raw emotion. "She trapped him in the dark while you were throwing your party!"
The entire mansion fell dead silent. Music stopped instantly as formal guests turned in utter disbelief.
Inside the narrow, dusty cavity, nine-year-old Ethan blinked against the bright chandelier light, tears streaking his smudged face. He held his thin arms against his chest, shaking uncontrollably.
"Daddy..." Ethan whispered, his weak voice choking on sobs. "She told me... she told me nobody would hear me... she said if I made a sound, you would never come back..."
William’s face drained of all color. He dropped his glass, letting it shatter into a hundred pieces across the marble floor.
Isabella took a slow step backward into the crowd, her calm, elegant mask completely shattering into sheer panic.
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"William, listen to me..." Isabella whispered frantically, raising her manicured hands. "It’s not what it looks like! The boy is confused!"
👉 What dark motivation drove Isabella to stuff her new stepson inside a hidden wall compartment?
