Chapter 5 - Shadows in the Snow
Back at the Greenwich estate, winter night fell quickly, casting long, eerie shadows across the snow-covered gardens. The wind rattled the antique glass panes of the conservatory, but inside, the kitchen was a sanctuary of warmth and the sweet scent of baking cinnamon rolls.
Cora Bennett hummed an old lullaby as she wiped down the marble counters. Lily sat at the small wooden kitchen table, coloring in a thick book of fairy tales, her crayons scattered everywhere.
“Miss Cora?” Lily asked, not looking up from her coloring.
“Yes, sweet pea?”
“Are the bad people gone?”
Cora paused, her hand resting on the dish towel. She thought of Eleanor Vance’s venomous words, of the high-society nannies who looked down their noses at her, and of the board members trying to tear Adrien apart.
“Some people are just confused, Lily,” Cora said softly, walking over and kneeling down beside the little girl. “They think life is about titles and big houses. But they forget that the only thing that really keeps a house standing is love.”
Lily dropped her red crayon, threw her arms around Cora’s neck, and squeezed tight. “You’re my favorite person in the whole world.”
Suddenly, the kitchen’s overhead light flickered once—twice—and then died completely.
The cozy warmth of the room seemed to instantly evaporate as the emergency generator kicked in with a low, distant hum, bathing the kitchen in a dim, amber glow.
Cora stood up immediately, her instincts sharpening. “Stay right here, Lily. Don’t move an inch.”
“Miss Cora, I’m scared,” Lily whispered, her eyes wide as shadows danced across the walls.
“I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.” Cora moved toward the heavy oak door leading to the main hallway. As she reached for the brass handle, a sudden, heavy crash echoed from the front foyer—the sound of shattering antique glass.
Adrien Vance’s private security detail was supposed to be impenetrable. But right now, the smart-home security panels on the kitchen wall blinked red, one by one, signaling a total system override.
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Someone had bypassed the gates. Someone had breached the perimeter.
And they were already inside the house.
