Chapter 2 - The Echo in the Floorboards
The silence that settled over the grand hallway was thick, heavy, and suffocating. The soft, rhythmic sound of baby Leo’s breathing against Ethan’s neck was the only living noise remaining in the vast space.
Ethan stood rooted to the spot, his blue eyes staring down into the pitch-black opening revealed by the displaced flag stand. The air rising from the narrow stone staircase smelled faint, dry, and ancient, carrying a chill that contrasted sharply with the warm central heat of the mansion.
Victoria remained on the marble floor, her dark-purple dress gathered around her legs, her face pale as a sheet. Her manicured hand gripped the gold fringe of the American flag, her body trembling with a sudden, uncontrollable panic.
ETHAN: "Who is down there, Victoria?"
Victoria swallowed hard, her red hair slightly disheveled as she looked up at her son with wide, desperate eyes.
VICTORIA: "Ethan, please... put the baby in his nursery first. You don't know what you're doing."
Ethan didn't move an inch. His arms tightened around Leo, supporting the child’s back and head with absolute, protective devotion. The tears on his cheeks had dried, leaving faint, glistening tracks against his sharp jawline.
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ETHAN: "I asked you a question, Mother. Who just called me Daddy from inside that vault?"
From the depths of the narrow stairwell, a faint metallic click sounded, followed by the quiet rustle of fabric against concrete.
