out a blood-curdling scream, collapsing to the floor just as footsteps echoed down the stairs.
The room fell into a tomb-like silence.
Ethan stared at the screen, his mouth slightly open. The video played on, showing him rushing into the room seconds later, walking straight into the trap Clara had so meticulously laid out.
He turned his head slowly to look at his wife. Clara was trembling violently now, her hands clutching at her skirt, all her defenses crumbled into dust.
"Why?" Ethan's voice was barely a breath, carrying a weight heavier than any shout could manage.
Clara burst into frantic tears, but this time, there was no artifice in them—only panic. "It was the company, Ethan! Your father was