The air inside the estate had turned ice-cold, the kind of suffocating chill that seeped into bones and refused to leave.
Amelia stood frozen in place, her breathing shallow, her heart pounding loud and wild like a war drum marching her straight into the jaws of hell.
The eerie giggle echoed again through the pitch-black halls.
Her fingers instinctively pressed against her belly, the only anchor keeping her grounded amidst the storm of terror swallowing her whole.
Damian was already moving, gun in hand, his eyes darting through the darkness with the lethal focus of a man who'd walked the line between life and death more times than he cared to count.
"Stay behind me," he commanded through gritted teeth, his every muscle coiled tight like a predator ready to strike.
But before they could take a step—
The emergency lights flickered weakly back to life.
And right there, projected on the massive living room screen…
Lucien Blake's face appeared.
His cold, calculated smile was more terrifying than any monster lurking in the dark.
"Good evening, my dear Amelia," his voice poured through the speakers, smooth as silk and twice as dangerous.
"I see you've received my little warning. Shall we make things… more interesting?"
Amelia clenched her fists so hard her nails broke the skin of her palms.
"Enough of these games, Lucien! What do you want?" she shouted, her voice cracking under the weight of helpless fury.
Lucien's eyes gleamed on the screen.
"Simple. You have one hour to announce your resignation. Publicly. Or…"
He leaned closer to the camera, his smile widening into something sinister.
"…you'll never hear that precious child's laughter for real."
The screen cut to black.
Silence.
And then—
A sharp cry rang through the estate's intercom system.
It was a baby's cry.
Raw. Desperate.
Too real to be a recording.
Amelia's knees buckled.
Damian caught her just before she collapsed, his jaw clenched tight, his voice a harsh whisper in her ear.
"This is a trap. He wants to break you."
Amelia's eyes filled with tears she could no longer hold back.
"But what if… what if it's real?"
Damian pulled her close, his voice low and deadly calm.
"Then we hunt the bastard down. Right now."