Chapter 5 - The Unseen Master
Ethan reached down with one hand while supporting Lily securely on his hip with the other. He picked up the glowing phone, his thumb clearing the notification to reveal what was actively playing on the screen.
The display showed a live feed—a paused security-camera recording taken from the top corner of the very living room they were standing in. On the screen, Claire and Damon were visible standing near the fireplace with the metal chain. But standing beside them was a THIRD PERSON, filmed from behind—a figure wearing a dark coat, holding out a small, metallic object and handing it directly to Claire.
Ethan’s jaw set into a hard, terrifying line. His intense blue eyes narrowed as a cold, dangerous whisper escaped his lips.
“Who else was here?” Ethan asked, his voice dropping into a register that made the air in the room feel instantly sub-zero.
Beside the shattered crystal table, Claire sat clutching her bruised face, the color completely draining from her skin as she looked at the phone in Ethan’s hand. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.
Lily raised one trembling, small finger, pointing directly at the dark silhouette of the unseen figure on the screen.
May you like
“Daddy…” Lily whispered, her voice quivering with a quiet horror as she looked at the display. “…that’s who told them to do it.”
Ethan’s eyes turned to liquid steel. Without taking his eyes off the screen, his thumb hovered over the display and tapped PLAY.
