Chapter 1 - The Encrypted Archive
The massive television screen in the luxurious living room flickered to life.
Adrian stood perfectly still, his eyes locked on the glowing glass.
Vanessa backed away toward the marble foyer, her hands shaking uncontrollably as the color drained from her face.
She had been so certain that her tracks were completely covered.
She had proudly deleted the security footage from her phone application the exact moment she locked those crying children outside.
But she never knew that Adrian had installed a military-grade encrypted backup server in the basement of the mansion.
The video file timestamped at 3:17 p.m. started playing in crystal-clear high definition.
Adrian watched in absolute horror as his new wife forcefully dragged a weeping Lily across the pristine patio.
Baby Noah was dangling dangerously from Vanessa's other arm, crying out for his mother who had passed away years ago.
The screen showed Vanessa shoving them into the dark, dusty doghouse and violently slamming the heavy wooden door shut.
Adrian felt his blood turn to ice as he heard her muffled voice on the recording telling them that animals belonged outside.
He slowly turned his head to look at Vanessa, his expression completely unreadable.
Vanessa tried to force a smile, stammering about how it was just a temporary timeout to teach them a lesson about discipline.
But Adrian did not say a single word in response.
He simply pointed the remote control at the television and increased the volume to the maximum level.
The video on the screen did not end with Vanessa walking away from the doghouse.
Seconds after she turned the lock, she walked directly to the back security gate and unlatched it.
A tall man wearing a dark trench coat and a baseball cap stepped from the shadows into the yard.
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He handed Vanessa a small, unmarked glass vial filled with a strange clear liquid.
"Make sure you put this in the father's drink tonight," the strange man whispered clearly on the recording.
