Chapter 7 - The Midnight Escape
The air left my lungs completely as Evelyn's words hung in the room.
"You are completely insane," I whispered.
Evelyn elegantly stepped over the shattered porcelain on the floor.
"I prefer the term fiercely pragmatic," she corrected smoothly.
"Luca will figure it out," I warned her.
"Luca will find your body at the bottom of the estate's cliffs, officially ruled as a tragic suicide caused by your documented mental collapse."
She turned and walked toward the heavy oak door.
"Enjoy your final night, Nia."
The door clicked shut, and the heavy deadbolt slid loudly into place.
I ran to the window and looked down at the sheer, terrifying drop to the rocky shoreline below.
There was absolutely no way to climb down from the third-story guest room.
I frantically searched the room for any potential weapon.
I found a heavy brass fire poker resting near the cold fireplace.
I dragged a large velvet armchair directly in front of the locked door to create a barricade.
I sat in the dark for three agonizing hours, clutching the metal weapon tightly.
Around three in the morning, a faint scratching sound came from the air conditioning vent near the ceiling.
I stood up slowly, raising the heavy poker above my head.
The metal grate was silently pushed outward, falling softly onto the carpet.
A small, dirty pair of hands reached out from the dark shaft.
It was my son, Leo.
"Leo!" I gasped, dropping the poker and rushing to catch him.
He slid out of the vent and fell directly into my waiting arms.
"Mommy," he whimpered, clinging tightly to my neck.
Mia slid out right behind him, her little pajamas covered in dust.
I hugged them both fiercely, kissing their dirty faces.
"How did you find me?" I asked, completely amazed.
"The nice man showed us the secret tunnels," Leo whispered.
I frowned, completely confused.
"What nice man?" I asked.
Before Leo could answer, a tall figure dropped gracefully from the vent.
It was Marcus Moretti.
He brushed the dust from his expensive suit.
"I told you I didn't forge those documents, Nia," Marcus said quietly.
"Why are you helping me?" I asked suspiciously.
"Because Evelyn plans to kill me right after she kills you," he replied.
He walked over to the barricaded door and listened carefully.
"We have exactly ten minutes before the hitman arrives," Marcus warned.
"How do we get out of here?" I asked, grabbing the twins' hands.
"The ventilation shafts connect to the old servant quarters below the mansion."
I helped the twins back into the dark vent and climbed in after them.
Marcus followed closely behind, replacing the metal grate to hide our escape.
We crawled blindly through the narrow, dusty metal tunnels for what felt like hours.
We finally dropped down into the pitch-black basement of the estate.
Marcus pushed open a heavy iron door leading to the underground parking garage.
"Take my car and drive straight to the Canadian border," Marcus instructed, handing me his keys.
I looked at him gratefully.
"Thank you, Marcus."
I turned toward the sleek sports car, ready to finally escape the nightmare.
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The garage lights suddenly flickered on, blinding us completely.
Luca stood leaning against Marcus's car, holding a loaded pistol aimed directly at his brother's chest.
