Chapter 2 - The Ghost Upstairs
Silence fell over the hallway, heavier than lead. The romantic string quartet playing downstairs in the garden felt like a cruel, mocking soundtrack to a nightmare.
Amanda collapsed against the doorframe, her designer gown whispering against the wood. “Ethan… please. Let me explain. It’s not what it looks like—”
“Save it,” I cut her off, my voice trembling with a cold fury I didn't know I possessed. “The wedding is canceled. Get out of my sight before I forget I’m a civilized man.”
Amanda’s eyes flashed with sudden, desperate malice. The mask of the innocent, loving fiancée shattered completely. “You think you can just dump me? After everything I sacrificed? You arrogant fool—”
Before she could finish her sentence, the burner phone in my hand vibrated violently. A brand-new notification banner popped up at the top of the screen, cutting her off mid-rant.
New message from M:“Why did you stop the wedding? I’m already upstairs.”
My blood ran cold. I snapped my head up, staring down the dimly lit corridor toward the private elevator and the VIP guest rooms on the upper floor of the estate.
For months, Amanda had claimed that her family lived out of state, that she was an only child, that she had no one left except for a distant cousin who couldn't make it. But the message was unmistakable. Whoever Amanda had been conspiring with—whoever was planning to take my home, my money, and push my little girl out of her life—wasn't miles away.
He was inside the building.
“Ethan, don’t!” Amanda screamed, lunging forward to grab my arm as I handed Sophie over to a trusted estate security guard who had finally rushed up the stairs in response to the commotion.
“Take my daughter down to the secure wing,” I commanded the guard, never breaking eye contact with Amanda. “Lock all doors. Let no one in.”
“Yes, Mr. Vance,” the guard said, scooping up Sophie, who buried her face safely in his shoulder.
I turned back to Amanda, my jaw clenched so tight my teeth ached. “Who is upstairs, Amanda? Who is the man waiting in my house?”
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Amanda let out a hysterical laugh, tears finally spilling over her mascara-stained cheeks. “You think you’re so smart, Ethan? You built an empire, but you were too blind to see that you were just building it for us!”
I didn’t wait to hear another word. I turned on my heel and marched toward the grand mahogany staircase leading to the upper guest suites. Every footstep echoed like a gunshot in the silent hallway.
