"Dad..." Leo sobbed, his voice trembling so hard the words barely escaped his throat. "Dad... that’s not the worst thing she does when you’re at work."
Chapter 2: Whispers in the Dark
The room went stone-cold.
Liam felt his pulse spike, a cold dread creeping down his spine. He looked from his son’s tear-stained face back to Eleanor.
For a fraction of a second, Eleanor’s impenetrable composure faltered. Her eyes widened slightly, her jaw tightening as she glared at the eight-year-old boy.
"Leo, be quiet," Eleanor commanded, her voice dropping into a harsh, warning register. "Go to your room. Now."
"No," Liam said, stepping directly between Eleanor and his son, shielding the boy with his body. "Leo, look at me. What does she do? What has she been doing to you and Lily?"
Leo’s small fingers gripped Liam's jacket tighter. "She... she locks us in the old wine cellar under the pantry whenever you leave for your night meetings. She says if we tell you, she'll make you go away like she did with Mom."
Liam felt the world pivot on its axis.
His wife, Clara, had died two years ago in a sudden, tragic car accident—a loss that had shattered Liam and left him struggling to manage both his grief and his father’s massive real estate empire. Eleanor, his late father’s second wife, had moved into the estate shortly after, offering to "help take care of the children" while Liam rebuilt the business.
Liam had trusted her. He had believed she was a stabilizing presence for his grieving children.
"You monster," Liam whispered, his eyes fixed on Eleanor. "You locked my children in a cellar?"
Eleanor slowly stood up from the table. She smoothed the front of her black silk blouse, her face hardening into a cold, defiant sneer. "The boy is lying, Liam. He has an overactive imagination. He’s spent two years grieving his mother, and he projects his anger onto me because I enforce rules."
"He's not lying!" Leo screamed, jumping up from his chair. "There’s a red notebook in her desk! She writes down the times you leave, and she talks to a man named Marcus on the phone! She told him the foundation is almost ready!"
Eleanor’s head snapped toward Leo. Her eyes flashed with pure, unadulterated venom.
Chapter 3: The Red Notebook
"Stay here," Liam told Leo, placing Lily gently in her brother's care.
Without waiting for Eleanor’s response, Liam turned and marched down the grand hallway toward Eleanor’s private study.