Chapter 4: The Truth Beneath the Lies
Elena didn’t sleep.
At dawn, she returned to the basement.
This time, she came prepared.
Food. Water. A small flashlight.
Margaret looked weaker—but when she saw Elena, hope flickered.
“You came back…”
Elena knelt beside the cage. “I need the truth. Why is he doing this?”
Margaret swallowed painfully.
“My son… he built his empire on lies,” she whispered. “Fraud. Bribes. People who trusted him… ruined.”
Elena’s stomach dropped.
“I found proof,” Margaret continued. “I tried to stop him.”
“And he locked you away,” Elena finished.
Margaret nodded weakly.
“There’s more,” she said, gripping Elena’s hand. “In the study… behind the painting. A safe. Everything you need is there.”
Footsteps.
Closer this time.
Elena’s blood ran cold.
May you like
“They know,” Margaret whispered.
The basement door slammed open.
