Chapter 2 — The Woman in the Hidden Room
The staircase led much farther underground than Daniel expected.
At the bottom was a narrow corridor lined with old wooden walls.
Dust covered the floor.
The air smelled damp and stale.
Then Daniel saw her.
A woman sat against the far wall beneath the dim light.
Her clothes were dirty.
Her hair was tangled.
The moment she saw him, she began crying.
“Daniel…”
He stopped.
Something about her face felt familiar.
“Who are you?”
The woman struggled to stand.
“My name is Claire.”
Daniel’s breathing changed.
Claire Bennett.
His younger brother Michael’s wife.
The woman the entire family believed had disappeared three months earlier.
“Claire?”
She nodded.
Daniel rushed toward her.
“What are you doing here?”
Claire shook her head.
“I don’t know how long I’ve been down here.”
Daniel stared around the room.
There was an old mattress, several empty bottles of water, and a small table.
Someone had clearly been visiting.
“Who put you here?”
Claire immediately became terrified.
“Don’t let him know you found me.”
“Who?”
Footsteps sounded above.
Daniel looked toward the staircase.
Then Lily’s voice called down.
“Daddy! Uncle Marcus is here!”
Daniel stood.
Claire grabbed his sleeve.
“No.”
He looked at her.
“You’re safe.”
She shook her head violently.
“You don’t understand.”
Daniel helped her stand.
Then another male voice came from above.
“Daniel?”
It was Marcus, the head of family security.
Daniel relaxed slightly.
“Down here!”
Marcus descended.
His expression changed instantly when he saw Claire.
“Oh my God.”
Claire recoiled.
Daniel noticed.
“Claire?”
She stared at Marcus.
Her face drained of color.
Marcus stopped moving.
“What?”
Claire whispered:
“He knew.”
Daniel slowly turned toward him.
“Knew what?”
Marcus stared at her.
“She’s confused.”
Claire shook her head.
“No.”
Daniel moved between them.
“Claire, tell me.”
She pointed toward Marcus.
“He brought me here.”
Marcus’s face hardened.
“That’s insane.”
Daniel looked at him.
Marcus had worked for the Harrington family for twelve years.
He handled security.
Private investigations.
Access to every room in the mansion.
If anyone could hide someone beneath the house, it was him.
Daniel stepped backward.
“Give me your weapon.”
Marcus stared at him.
“Daniel—”
“Now.”
Marcus hesitated.
That hesitation was enough.
Daniel’s voice became colder.
“Lily is upstairs.”
Marcus slowly removed the weapon and placed it on the floor.
Daniel kicked it away.
Then Claire whispered:
“Marcus wasn’t working alone.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Who else?”
Claire’s eyes filled with tears.
She looked toward the ceiling.
“Your father.”
Daniel felt the room tilt.
His father, Charles Harrington, had been living in the mansion’s west wing since retiring.
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
Claire grabbed his arm.
“Daniel, I found something I wasn’t supposed to see.”
“What?”
She looked directly into his eyes.
“Proof that your father has been stealing from the family company for years.”
Daniel went silent.
Claire continued:
“And when I tried to tell Michael…”
May you like
She looked toward Marcus.
“They made me disappear.”
