Chapter 3: The Secret Recording
The following afternoon, Arthur returned home to collect fresh clothes.
The mansion felt strangely empty.
Lily quietly walked into Eleanor's bedroom.
She wasn't looking for treasure.
She was looking for answers.
Her grandmother had always told her something.
"If anything bad ever happens, remember..."
"...this house always tells the truth."
Lily didn't understand those words until she noticed a tiny blinking light hidden inside an antique clock overlooking the upstairs hallway.
She climbed onto a chair.
Behind the wooden panel sat a miniature security camera.
Its memory card was still inside.
Heart pounding, Lily carried it to Arthur's home office.
She inserted the card into the computer.
The footage appeared.
Arthur happened to walk into the room at that exact moment.
"What are you doing?"
Lily looked at him with frightened eyes.
"Please watch."
The video began.
Eleanor stood near the railing.
Victoria approached.
They argued.
The audio wasn't perfect, but one sentence came through clearly.
"You'll never stop this marriage."
Then...
Victoria looked around.
Placed both hands against Eleanor's chest.
And shoved.
Arthur stopped breathing.
The screen showed his mother desperately grabbing Victoria's bracelet before falling.
The bracelet snapped.
The missing purple crystal fell onto the carpet.
Exactly like the one Lily slowly placed onto the desk.
Arthur stared at it.
Then back at the screen.
His knees nearly gave out.
"No..."
"It can't..."
Tears streamed down his face.
Lily quietly took his shaking hand.
"I saw it too."
Arthur looked down at the tiny girl.
"You've been carrying this alone?"
She nodded.
"She told me she'd hurt me if I said anything."
Arthur's face transformed.
Grief disappeared.
May you like
Determination replaced it.
"No one threatens my family again."
