Chapter 1 - The Invisible Ghost
The Harrington Estate did not just sit on the hill.
It dominated the landscape like a terrifying monument to absolute power.
Massive wrought-iron gates stood at the entrance like the sharp teeth of a dragon.
They were designed to keep the elite safely inside.
They were also meant to keep the unworthy firmly out.
But somehow those heavy gates had opened for Elara.
She was a girl with no last name and a completely erased past.
Elara had recently been hired as a maid in this intimidating mansion.
She wore a stark black and white uniform that reminded her of her place.
She was at the absolute bottom of the food chain in this house.
Her strict instructions were to be completely invisible at all times.
She was meant to be a ghost operating silently within the massive machine of the Harrington family.
But ghosts have a terrifying way of haunting the living.
Her mere presence alone was a quiet ticking time bomb waiting to go off.
The entire Harrington family was built on a fragile foundation of lies.
At the very center of this massive deceit was the golden child.
Her name was Victoria.
To the outside world Victoria was known as the beloved daughter of the house.
Elara was assigned to clean Victoria's sprawling bedroom on Tuesday afternoon.
She polished the priceless crystal without leaving a breath on the glass.
She scrubbed the antique Persian rugs without making a single sound.
While dusting the grand bookshelf she noticed a strange gap behind a thick leather volume.
Curiosity overwhelmed her strict orders to remain unseen.
Elara reached into the dark crevice and pulled out a small rusted metal lockbox.
The lock was already broken so she pushed the lid open.
Inside lay a single piece of charred paper and a baby photograph.
The baby in the picture had a very distinct star-shaped birthmark on her left shoulder.
Elara felt the blood drain from her face as she reached to touch her own left shoulder.
She had the exact same star-shaped scar on her skin.
She flipped the charred paper over to read the faded ink.
It was a death certificate for Elara Harrington.
A cold hand suddenly clamped down hard on her shoulder.
May you like
She spun around to see Victoria staring at her with dead eyes.
Victoria smiled twistedly and said that she had been waiting for her to find that.
