CHAPTER 3
Ignoring Victoria's calls, Ethan reached the hallway and threw open the bedroom door. No one. The room was immaculate. Too immaculate. The window overlooking the rear garden stood slightly open. The curtains swayed gently in the afternoon breeze. On the polished floor lay a single black leather glove. Downstairs, James noticed something else. Sophia weakly pointed toward the staircase. "I... I heard someone behind me." Victoria stared at the broken railing, then at the loose screw still clutched in Ethan's hand as he returned. Her voice trembled. "This wasn't an accident." The distant sound of a car engine roared beyond the villa gates. By the time Ethan reached the window, a black SUV disappeared around the corner. Whoever had sabotaged the staircase had escaped. Sophia placed both hands over her unborn child as tears filled her eyes. Someone hadn't wanted her to survive. And now they knew the attacker had been inside their home all along. END
