Chapter 3 - THE MAID’S DISCOVERYBack in the grand foyer, Lily paced anxiously near the massive crystal chandelier, clutching Ethan tightly to her shoulder. The toddler had finally fallen into an exhausted sleep, his little fists curled into the fabric of Lily’s blouse.
"Mr. Hale?" Lily called out toward the East Wing hallway, her voice echoing emptily through the cavernous space. "Sir, please answer me!"
There was no reply, only the low, menacing hum of the smart-home system rebooting after the mysterious blackout. The security monitors mounted near the butler's station flickered to life one by one, casting a blue glow over the marble floor. Lily walked over to inspect them, hoping to catch a glimpse of Victor on the internal cameras.
The screens displayed camera feeds from the perimeter, the kitchens, and the gardens. But as Lily’s eyes scanned the grid, her blood ran cold.
Camera Feed 4—the private underground archive beneath the wine cellar—showed a figure in a dark trench coat moving systematically among the steel filing cabinets. The figure turned toward the camera lens, adjusting a silk scarf. It was Serena. But Serena wasn't alone. Standing beside her was a tall, imposing man in a bespoke gray suit whose face remained obscured by the brim of a fedora.
Even more terrifying, a small red indicator light flashed on the screen next to the main vault door: BIOMETRIC OVERRIDE IN PROGRESS.
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"My God," Lily whispered, realizing the horrifying truth. The blackout wasn't an accident; it was a distraction. Serena hadn't fled the mansion at all—she had retreated to the Hale family vault to empty the accounts before Victor could stop her.
Lily looked down at sleeping Ethan, then toward the locked East Wing door. She had a choice: stay hidden and wait for Victor, or take matters into her own hands and descend into the dark underground labyrinth of the mansion to stop Serena once and for all.
