Chapter 8 - The Edge of the Abyss
Eleanor stepped closer to the closet, the beam of her flashlight cutting through the darkness, illuminating the empty bassinet. She let out a sharp, hysterical laugh. "Not here? You think you can hide from me in my own son's house?"
She walked toward the master bathroom, her footsteps fading slightly. Seizing the momentary distraction, Evelyn slipped out of the closet, her bare feet making no sound on the hardwood floor. She needed to reach the back staircase, to get to the security team or out into the storm—anywhere away from this madness.
As she reached the nursery doorway, a flash of lightning illuminated the hallway, casting a long, terrifying shadow. Evelyn turned to see Eleanor standing at the end of the corridor, having doubled back through a connecting door.
"There you are," Eleanor whispered, a sickening smile spreading across her face. She lunged forward with surprising speed for a woman her age, fueled by pure adrenaline and desperation.
Evelyn turned and fled down the grand hallway, holding Leo securely with both arms, shielding his head. She reached the top of the double-turn marble staircase just as Eleanor caught up to her, grabbing the fabric of Evelyn’s sweater.
"Give him to me!" Eleanor shrieked, pulling violently.
"No! Let go of him!" Evelyn screamed, planting her feet, using every ounce of her strength to push backward, terrified that a fall down the massive staircase would kill her baby.
They grappled at the very edge of the abyss, the storm raging outside the massive glass skylight above them. Eleanor’s grip was vicious, her fingers clawing at Evelyn’s arms, trying to wrench the baby away.
Suddenly, the heavy front doors of the mansion burst open. Julian stormed into the grand foyer, flanked by two police officers and his security chief. He looked up, his face turning pale with horror as he saw his mother wrestling his wife at the top of the stairs.
"Eleanor! Stop!" Julian bellowed, sprinting up the stairs three steps at a time.
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Hearing her son's voice, Eleanor distracted herself for a split second, looking down. In that moment of hesitation, Evelyn broke free from her grip, stumbling backward into the safety of the upper hallway.
But the momentum of the pull, combined with the slick, rain-soaked fabric of her own coat, caused Eleanor to lose her balance. Her heel slipped on the polished marble edge of the top step. With a sharp gasp, she tipped backward, tumbling violently down the long, unforgiving flight of stairs before landing motionless on the marble floor of the foyer below.
