Chapter 7 - The Locked Nursery
My bare feet slapped frantically against the polished hardwood floors as I reached the nursery door, shoving it open and slamming it shut behind me. I threw the heavy brass deadbolt just as Julian’s weight crashed against the exterior wood with a violent thud.
“Open the door, darling!” Julian’s voice echoed through the panels, dangerously sweet and dripping with mockery. “You can’t lock me out of my own home. And more importantly, you can’t protect the boy forever.”
I spun around, chest heaving, adrenaline flooding my veins. Leo was still fast asleep in his crib in the corner, blissfully unaware of the nightmare unfolding around us.
I grabbed my phone from the bedside table with trembling fingers, praying for a cellular signal. But the screen flashed a grim, terrifying reality: No Service.
Julian had installed a localized signal jammer somewhere inside the mansion. We were completely cut off from the outside world. There was no police to call, no emergency line to dial, and no one coming to rescue us.
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Clack. Clack. Clack.
A faint metallic scratching sound came from the high transom window above the nursery door. I looked up just in time to see the handle of a skeleton key turning from the outside. Julian hadn't just relied on brute force; he had master keys to every single room in this gothic prison.
