Chapter 9 - The Fracture in the Foyer
Ethan lunged forward.
He didn't target Evelyn; he targeted Lily. He reached out with both hands, attempting to tear the child straight from Evelyn's arms.
Evelyn ducked to the left, spinning her body around to shield Lily with her back. Ethan's fingers caught the sleeve of her blue shirt, tearing the fabric with a loud rip. Evelyn brought her elbow back with violent force, striking Ethan squarely in his bleeding nose once again.
Ethan howled in pain, stumbling sideways into the heavy oak banister of the grand staircase.
"Mother! Grab her!" Ethan roared, wiping blood from his eyes.
Clara rushed forward, her heavy leather leash raised like a whip. She swung the strap toward Evelyn's face.
Evelyn raised her left arm to block the strike. The heavy leather strap wrapped around her forearm, the metal buckle biting deep into her skin, leaving a stinging, bloody welt. But Evelyn didn't flinch. She grabbed the end of the leash with her free hand, yanked it forward with all her weight, pulling the fragile old woman off her feet.
Clara screamed as she fell, her hip slamming hard against the bottom step of the staircase. She tumbled onto the polished floorboards, the breath knocked completely out of her lungs.
Evelyn didn't waste a single second. She turned and bolted up the grand staircase, carrying Lily up toward the second floor.
"Evelyn!" Ethan's voice roared from below, echoing up the stairwell like the howl of a demonic beast. "There is nowhere to hide! Every room is locked!"
Evelyn reached the top landing, her heart hammering violently in her throat. She looked down the long, carpeted corridor of the second floor. Row after row of dark mahogany doors lined the hallway—guest bedrooms, the master suite, Ethan's private study.
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She knew Ethan was right about one thing: the windows were shuttered, and the doors could be locked remotely. But there was one room Ethan had spent months warning her never to enter.
The private utility room at the far end of the hall—the room where the house's master server and electrical grid were housed.
