Chapter 10 - The Broken LockAbove the study, the hallway was silent and dark.
Chloe stood in her nightgown near the staircase, holding her breath. She had sneaked out of her room to get a glass of water for Leo, who was still too frightened to sleep alone.
She had seen her father slip into the basement study with a key, looking nervous and angry.
Curious, Chloe crept down the carpeted stairs and pressed her ear against the heavy wooden door of the study. Through the thick crack near the floor, she heard her father's low, frantic voice distinctly:
“...The boy is back in my house... He’s starting to remember... Meet me at the abandoned pier on 8th Street...”
Chloe’s heart pounded against her ribs. She didn't understand everything about money or court, but she understood one thing with absolute, terrifying clarity:
Her father was the bad man Leo was afraid of.
She backed away from the door quietly, her small slippers making no sound on the rug. She ran back up the stairs, darted into Leo's room, and shut the door behind her.
Leo was sitting up in bed, holding his knees to his chest.
Chloe walked over, climbed onto the bed, and took his trembling hand into her own.
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"Leo," Chloe whispered, her voice fierce and determined, tears brimming in her eyes. "Dad is planning something bad for tomorrow night. But don't be scared. I'm going to tell Mommy everything."
Here are Chapters 11 through 15, ratcheting up the suspense as the truth explodes within the Vance family, forcing Eleanor into action to protect her children.
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