Chapter 3 - The Empty House
The heavy oak front door slammed shut.
The sound echoed through the quiet mansion.
Evelyn was finally gone.
Victor stood up slowly, keeping one hand on Leo's shoulder.
The boy had stopped crying, but he remained utterly exhausted.
"I need to make some calls," Victor said quietly.
He looked at Clara with a profound sense of gratitude.
"Thank you for protecting him when I failed to."
Clara nodded respectfully.
"He is a good boy, Mr. Sterling."
"He just needed someone to listen."
Victor guided Leo toward the grand living room.
"Clara, could you please make him some warm milk?"
"Right away, sir."
Clara retreated to the massive kitchen.
Her hands still shook slightly from the intense confrontation.
She poured milk into a small saucepan and turned on the stove.
Meanwhile, Victor sat on the velvet sofa next to his son.
He pulled out his phone and dialed his chief of security.
"Marcus, I need the estate locked down immediately."
"Cancel Evelyn's access codes and alert the gate."
He hung up and looked down at Leo.
The boy was staring blankly at the unlit fireplace.
"Did she hurt you, Leo?" Victor asked gently.
Leo shook his head slowly.
"She just yelled," Leo whispered.
"She said I was in the way."
Victor felt a fresh wave of nausea and anger.
He realized how often he had been away on business trips.
He had left his son vulnerable to a monster.
Clara returned carrying a warm mug.
She handed it to Leo with a soft, encouraging smile.
"Drink up, sweetie," she urged gently.
Victor watched the maid carefully.
He noticed the genuine affection in her eyes.
"We need to find out who she was talking to on that phone," Victor stated.
Clara turned to face him.
"I only heard part of the conversation," she admitted.
"But she mentioned a man named Thomas."
May you like
Victor's blood ran cold.
Thomas was his own business partner.
