The air was electric with tension as I cradled my daughter, Emily, against my chest. Doris stood frozen, the heavy shears dangling uselessly from her hand, her bravado crumbling in the face of a reality she hadn’t anticipated. Her eyes, which once looked down on me with disdain, were now wide with fear.
Curtis groaned from somewhere downstairs, still reeling from the punch. He was the least of my concerns now. My focus was on getting Emily out of this nightmare. Her fevered skin was clammy against my arm, her once vibrant spirit dimmed by the oppressive environment of the mansion.
I moved swiftly, carrying her out of the room and down the staircase, each step a firm reminder of my resolve. The opulence of the Parker estate blurred around us, a parody of hospitality and family, now just a backdrop to the dark resolve forming within me.
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