Chapter 3 - The Heavy Burden
Daniel arrived at his massive estate just in time for family dinner.
His beautiful wife, Eleanor, was already sitting at the long dining table pouring a glass of wine.
The heavy oak front door opened and Ethan walked in, dropping his backpack on the marble floor.
Daniel immediately noticed the dark, purple bruise forming on the side of his son's jaw.
It was the exact spot where the enforcer had shoved him into the dirt earlier that afternoon.
"What happened to your face, Ethan?" Daniel asked, keeping his voice carefully neutral.
Ethan looked down at the floor, refusing to make eye contact with his father.
"I got tackled really hard during soccer practice today," Ethan lied smoothly.
Daniel felt a sharp ache in his chest, knowing his son was carrying this dangerous burden completely alone.
He nodded slowly and played along, not wanting to scare the boy just yet.
"Make sure you put some ice on it before bed," Daniel replied softly.
The rest of the evening passed in an agonizingly tense silence.
Daniel waited until midnight, long after his wife and son had fallen asleep.
He silently walked down the dark hallway and turned the knob to Ethan’s bedroom.
He moved like a ghost across the carpet, stopping beside his son's bed.
Daniel gently lifted the corner of Ethan’s mattress, searching for any clue about Maya.
His hand brushed against something heavy and metallic hidden in the dark space.
Daniel pulled the object out into the dim moonlight filtering through the window.
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It was a loaded 9mm pistol with the serial numbers completely scratched off.
His twelve-year-old son was preparing to kill someone.
