Chapter 5 - The Crayon ProphecyMason walked over to Evelyn, ignoring the frantic protests of Celeste behind him. He gently touched Evelyn’s shoulder, his expression a mix of fierce protection and deep remorse.
“Evelyn, I am deeply sorry for what you and your daughter were put through tonight,” Mason said softly, his voice meant only for her. “Please, go upstairs. Rest. I’ll clear this entire mess up.”
Evelyn looked up into his intense, stormy grey eyes. She saw something raw and genuine there, far beyond the typical guilt of a wealthy employer. She nodded slowly, turning to carry a sleeping Lily up the grand staircase.
As she reached the first landing, a sudden draft from the open balcony doors caught the edge of her apron. The folded piece of paper—Lily’s crayon drawing of the green Christmas tree—slipped from her pocket and fluttered down to the floor below, landing right at Mason’s feet.
Mason bent down to pick it up. He unfolded the crude crayon lines.
At first, it looked like a child’s simple holiday drawing: a lopsided green tree, a bright yellow star, and a stick-figure family holding hands. But near the bottom of the page, drawn in unsteady black crayon strokes, was something else.
May you like
It was a detailed, architectural floor plan of the estate’s underground basement archives—complete with the exact combination numbers of the hidden safe written in faint, adult handwriting.
Mason’s breath caught in his throat. Evelyn didn't draw that.
