Chapter 3 - The Gilded Cage
Madeline threw her entire body weight against the heavy doors.
The solid wood did not even budge.
She was trapped inside a monument to the very family she was running from.
Forcing down her panic, she began searching the dark mansion for another exit.
Every window was reinforced with steel security shutters.
She wandered into a grand library, the air smelling of expensive scotch and old paper.
Behind a large mahogany desk, an antique painting hung slightly crooked on the wall.
Her appraiser instincts took over, and she noticed the frame concealed a hidden wall safe.
The keypad was dusted with fingerprints, revealing a clear pattern.
She quickly punched in Dominic's birthdate.
A soft click echoed through the silent room as the metal door swung open.
She expected to find cash or weapons, but instead found a single manila folder.
Madeline opened the file and began reading the legal documents inside.
Her blood ran ice cold.
It was a marriage certificate between Dominic Valente and Serafina DeLuca.
The document was fully signed, notarized, and legally binding.
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The shocking part was the date stamped at the bottom.
They had already been married for three entire years.
