Chapter 1 - The Secret Behind the Sleeves
The grand suburban mansion glowed with warm ambient lights and Christmas decorations. A massive, towering pine tree stood decorated in silver and gold garlands in the dining room, but the atmosphere inside was ice-cold.
Elisa sat at the long mahogany dining table, wearing a sleeveless gold evening gown, casually sipping red wine from a crystal glass. Beside her sat her husband, Marcus, looking impeccably handsome in a tailored beige suit, silently cutting his steak without a care in the world.
"Sit down right now, Sophia!" Elisa snapped, her voice sharp, impatient, and echoing across the marble floors.
Five-year-old Sophia whimpered in pain. Instead of moving to her chair, the little girl fled toward the kitchen island corner, curling up tightly on the cold floor in her sparkly gold holiday dress and white tights. Under the bright lights, faint dark bruises were clearly visible across her pale cheekbones and under her eyes.
Michael, Marcus's younger brother, dropped his napkin. Wearing a comfortable cream-colored knit sweater and beige trousers, he stepped away from the table and approached the kitchen island, crouching down gently beside his crying niece.
"What's wrong, little bird?" Michael asked, his voice soft, protective, and filled with deep concern.
Sophia pulled back her sparkly gold sleeve, revealing dark purple bruises along her small forearm that matched the marks on her face. She clung tightly to Michael's arms, sobbing quietly.
May you like
"It hurts, Uncle Michael… Daddy says we have a secret game," Sophia whispered through her tears.
👉 What sinister truth was behind the "secret game" Marcus and Elisa forced little Sophia to play?
