Chapter 2 - Locked Away
Elena remained beside the locked door long after the footsteps disappeared.
The silence of the mansion felt unnatural.
She had lived there for almost two years, yet suddenly every expensive piece of furniture and every carefully chosen painting seemed unfamiliar.
This had never truly been her home.
It had been Margaret's kingdom.
Julian had simply invited Elena to live inside it.
She crossed the guest room and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders.
Her wet dress clung uncomfortably to her skin.
She forced herself to think about the afternoon.
The necklace had been kept inside the master safe at the end of the east hallway.
Margaret displayed it only during important social events.
The piece was famous within the family.
It had belonged to Julian's grandmother and was insured for an enormous amount.
Elena had never touched it without Margaret watching.
That fact mattered.
She sat on the edge of the bed.
Why would Margaret accuse her so quickly?
Because she needed Elena to be blamed.
But why?
Elena closed her eyes and reconstructed the day.
At two in the afternoon, Margaret had left the mansion wearing a cream suit and pearl earrings.
At least, Elena had seen her walk toward the garage.
No one had actually watched Margaret's car leave.
That was the first detail that bothered her.
The second was the house security system.
Cameras covered nearly every hallway.
If Elena had entered the safe room, there would be footage.
Margaret never mentioned the cameras.
Neither had Julian.
Elena stood abruptly.
That was strange.
In a house obsessed with security, why had nobody checked the recordings before accusing her?
Unless they already knew what the cameras would show.
A soft knock sounded against the door.
Elena froze.
“Who is it?”
No answer.
Then a man's voice came from the hallway.
“Mrs. Harrington, there's food outside.”
It was one of the guards.
Elena waited until his footsteps faded before looking through the narrow gap beneath the door.
A tray sat outside.
She almost laughed.
They had locked her inside and left dinner where she could not reach it.
Either the guard was careless or Margaret wanted to remind her who held the power.
Elena returned to the bed.
She refused to cry again.
Julian's reaction troubled her most.
He knew how much she valued honesty.
He knew she had refused expensive gifts when they first met.
He knew she continued working after marriage because she wanted financial independence.
Yet when his mother accused her, those years had meant nothing.
He had chosen blood over truth.
Elena looked around the dark room.
There had to be a way out.
She checked the windows first.
They were sealed.
The bathroom window was too narrow.
The door lock was old but strong.
Then she remembered something.
The guest room had once belonged to Julian's grandfather.
The mansion had been renovated many times, but parts of the original floor remained.
Elena moved the rug.
Several wooden boards appeared beneath it.
One board looked slightly raised.
She knelt and pulled at the edge.
It moved.
Her heart began beating faster.
Underneath was a shallow dusty space.
And inside that darkness was something rectangular.
Elena reached down.
Her fingers closed around an old smartphone.
She stared at it in disbelief.
The screen was cracked.
The battery was nearly dead.
But when she pressed the power button, a tiny light appeared.
For the first time that night, Elena smiled.
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Margaret believed she had locked Elena away from the world.
She was wrong.
