Chapter 3 - The Nursery
Nathaniel casually stepped in front of the television screen to block his brother's view.
"Sophia found an old dance routine of Evelyn's and accidentally turned it on," Nathaniel lied flawlessly.
Julian paused with his hand still tucked inside his suit jacket.
His cold blue eyes darted back and forth between Nathaniel and me.
"That is a shame, because you know how much seeing her face upsets you," Julian said smoothly.
He slowly pulled his hand out of his jacket, revealing that he was only holding a silver cigarette case.
"I came by to surprise Eli with a gift, but the nanny told me the children are outside," Julian continued.
Nathaniel nodded stiffly and suggested that Julian go out to the garden to see his nephew.
As soon as Julian's footsteps faded down the hallway, Nathaniel turned to me with desperate eyes.
"Clara, you need to go up to the nursery right now and find that evidence," he instructed quietly.
I nodded and practically sprinted up the grand staircase toward the east wing of the estate.
My hands were shaking violently as I pushed open the door to Eli's massive playroom.
The blue bassinet Evelyn had mentioned was currently being used to store stuffed animals in the corner.
I dropped to my knees and began tearing the plush toys out of the velvet bed.
I ran my fingers aggressively along the silk lining of the mattress until I felt a hard rectangular shape.
Using a small pair of sewing scissors from my pocket, I cut the fabric wide open.
A small metal lockbox slid out into my trembling hands.
It felt surprisingly heavy and cold.
Just as I prepared to pry the lid open, the nursery door clicked shut behind me.
I spun around and dropped the box onto the soft carpet.
Julian was standing inside the nursery with a terrifyingly calm smile on his face.
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"You really should not go digging around in places that do not belong to you, Clara," he whispered.
He pulled a small black handgun from his pocket and aimed it directly at my chest.
