Chapter 2 - The Stepmother's Claws
Julian stared up at the high window, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird.
Before he could process the silhouette, the thick curtains were yanked shut from the inside.
"He's in there," Julian whispered to himself, his voice trembling violently.
"My father isn't in that coffin... he's alive inside the house," he realized with sickening clarity.
Julian scrambled to his feet and ran toward his luxury sedan parked by the gate.
He grabbed his phone from the dashboard and dialed the local police precinct with shaking fingers.
"Emergency dispatch, what is your location?" the operator asked calmly.
"My stepmother has trapped my father!" Julian shouted into the phone.
"She staged a fake funeral, and she claims he died of an infectious disease to stop anyone from looking in the coffin!" he yelled.
There was a long, painful silence on the other end of the line.
"Sir, are you Julian Vance?" the operator asked carefully.
"Yes! Send officers to the Vance estate immediately!" Julian demanded.
"Sir, Mrs. Maria Vance already filed a distress report fifteen minutes ago," the operator replied coldly.
"She informed us that you are experiencing severe psychotic grief episodes following your father's tragic demise," the operator explained.
"What?!" Julian yelled, clutching the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.
"She sent us the certified medical death certificate signed by Dr. Harrison half an hour ago," the operator added.
"Dr. Harrison is her personal doctor, he's in on it!" Julian screamed.
"Sir, if you attempt to trespass on the estate, we will be forced to arrest you," the operator warned before hanging up.
Julian stared at the phone screen in utter disbelief as the call disconnected.
Maria had already calculated every single move in advance.
She had trapped Arthur, bought the doctor, and turned the police against Julian in less than twenty-four hours.
Inside the estate mansion, Maria walked slowly into the hidden chamber behind the chapel wall.
She clicked on a harsh overhead fluorescent light, blinding Arthur momentarily.
Arthur recoiled, his breathing ragged and heavy behind the thick black tape.
Maria pulled up a leather chair and sat down directly in front of him.
She opened her designer leather handbag and pulled out a stack of legal documents.
"Look at these, Arthur," Maria said, holding the papers inches from his terrified face.
"This is the full transfer of the Vance Logistics corporation into my private offshore trust," she smiled faintly.
"All I need is your thumbprint on these three pages," she said in a soothing, monstrous tone.
Arthur violently shook his head, glaring at her with burning hatred.
Maria leaned forward, her warm breath smelling of mint and expensive champagne against his cheek.
"If you don't give me your thumbprint by midnight, I will send my men to hunt down Julian," Maria whispered darkly.
May you like
"He is all alone in the rain right now, vulnerable and completely defenseless," she added with a cruel laugh.
Arthur's chest heaved as tears of agony spilled over his trembling eyelids.
