Chapter 2 - The Art of Deception
Panic clawed at Madeline's throat as she stared at the burned ultrasound.
She had to run again.
Throwing her few belongings into her duffel bag, she realized her Boston sanctuary was compromised.
Her phone vibrated on the mattress, displaying a call from Professor Elias.
She answered with a shaky voice, desperate for an excuse to leave the city.
Elias sounded frantic, explaining he needed an appraiser immediately at a private estate in Maine.
He offered triple her usual rate in cash if she left within the hour.
It was the perfect escape route.
Madeline agreed without hesitation, grabbing her coat and rushing out into the bitter cold.
The drive north was a blur of paranoid glances in her rearview mirror.
She arrived at a massive, isolated stone mansion surrounded by acres of dark pine trees.
Elias was nowhere to be found, but the front door was unlocked.
She stepped into the grand foyer, brushing snow from her shoulders.
The walls were lined with massive, hauntingly beautiful Renaissance oil paintings.
She stepped closer to inspect the brushwork on the centerpiece portrait.
Her breath hitched in her throat as she read the small brass plaque beneath the frame.
May you like
The painting was titled "The First Valente, 1892."
She spun around to leave, but the heavy oak doors slammed shut, locking her inside.
