Chapter 4 - Through the Air Vent
Eleanor dropped onto her hands and knees in front of the floor vent.
"Lily! Are you inside there?" Eleanor whispered frantically into the metal grill.
"Yes, I snuck into the air duct from the laundry room," Lily's small voice resonated through the metal grate.
"Are you okay? Did Julian's security guards find you?" Eleanor asked, her heart hammering against her ribs.
"No, I hid under the dirty tablecloths when the big men ran past," Lily replied.
"Lily, listen to me very carefully," Eleanor said, pressing her face close to the vent.
"Where is my mother right now?" Eleanor pleaded.
There was a short silence on the other side of the grill.
"She told me to tell you that the groom is not who you think he is," Lily said softly.
"She said Julian took over the family company five years ago after he staged the fire," Lily added.
Eleanor's hands trembled violently against the cold iron of the vent cover.
Five years ago, Eleanor had woken up in a hospital with severe amnesia following the house fire.
Julian had been by her bedside every single day since then.
He had told her that her parents died in the flames saving her life.
He had managed her recovery, her estate, and her family's multi-million dollar business.
Every single word he had ever told her was a carefully constructed lie.
"Lily, can you unscrew this vent cover from your side?" Eleanor asked desperately.
"I don't have tools, but there's a loose latch on this side," Lily whispered back.
The sound of metal scraping against metal echoed through the narrow duct.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway outside Eleanor's locked bedroom door.
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"Eleanor! The doctor is here to help you relax!" Julian's voice called out from behind the mahogany door.
The sound of a key turning slowly in the lock sent a chill straight down Eleanor's spine.
