Chapter 2 – The Devil Walked Through the Front Door
The explosion of the mansion's front doors silenced three hundred conversations at once.
Crystal chandeliers trembled overhead.
Champagne glasses rattled against silver trays.
The string quartet stopped in the middle of a note.
Every guest turned toward the entrance.
A blast of icy December air rolled through Ravenshore, carrying snowflakes across the polished marble floor.
One man stepped inside.
Dominic Kane.
He wore a charcoal overcoat over a perfectly tailored black suit, his leather gloves still dusted with snow. His expression was unreadable, almost bored, but everyone in the room instinctively moved aside.
Behind him came twelve men in identical black suits.
No raised voices.
No drawn weapons.
Only absolute discipline.
The silence they carried was somehow louder than shouting.
A senator quietly lowered his champagne glass.
A federal judge suddenly remembered another appointment.
Several of New York's wealthiest donors slipped toward the exits without saying goodbye.
Everyone knew Dominic Kane.
Few had ever met him.
No one wanted to become the reason he remembered their face.
Grayson Langford descended the grand staircase wearing the smile he reserved for reporters and shareholders.
"Mr. Kane," he said warmly, extending a hand. "What an unexpected honor. Had I known you were attending—"
Dominic looked at the offered hand.
Then past it.
"I'm here for Harper."
The smile remained on Grayson's face.
Only his eyes changed.
"I'm afraid you've been misinformed. My daughter is suffering another emotional episode. She's resting upstairs under medical supervision."
"Medical supervision?"
Dominic repeated the words so quietly that several guests leaned closer to hear.
"Interesting."
He raised one finger.
One of his men stepped forward carrying a tablet.
The screen illuminated the ballroom.
Security footage.
Every television in the mansion suddenly switched from the charity presentation to the same video.
Someone inside the security room had surrendered control.
The recording showed Harper being dragged through a hallway.
Paige striking her with the broken champagne flute.
Celeste calmly watching.
Grayson slamming Harper's hand inside his office desk.
Gasps rippled across the ballroom.
One woman covered her mouth.
Another quietly began recording with her phone.
The illusion Grayson had built over twenty-six years cracked in less than thirty seconds.
"This..." Grayson stammered.
"...has been manipulated."
Dominic never looked at him.
"Bring Harper to me."
No one moved.
May you like
Then...
A scream echoed from upstairs.
