Chapter 1 — Shattered Glass and Screaming Accusations
The sharp crack of shattering glass echoed off the hardwood floors of the suburban living room.
Ten-year-old Samantha froze in absolute terror against the sofa cushions.
A heavy footstep pounded down the hallway.
Vincent stormed around the corner, his face flushed with sudden anger.
“You knocked it down!” Vincent roared.
He pointed a shaking, furious finger at the broken family portrait scattered across the carpet.
Samantha burst into uncontrollable tears, pulling her knees tightly to her chest.
“I never touched it! I swear I didn’t!” she sobbed, trembling beneath his harsh gaze.
Jordan rushed around the corner from the kitchen just in time to pull his crying daughter into his protective arms.
“Back off, Dad, she wouldn’t do that,” Jordan defended firmly, his eyes narrowing as he glared up at the older man.
“I saw it fall! She was right here!” Vincent insisted, refusing to back down from his aggressive stance.
Vincent crossed his arms, claiming he had been watching from the hallway and saw the exact moment the frame tumbled off the wood.
Jordan gently lowered Samantha to the sofa, telling her to stay put.
Jordan stepped over the sparkling shards of glass and walked up to the heavy wooden side table where the portrait had rested for years.
He stared down at the table surface, his brow furrowing as a nagging detail surfaced in his mind.
Jordan clearly remembered walking past this exact spot less than two minutes ago, and the heavy brass-trimmed frame had been pushed all the way back against the wall, far from the edge.
He reached out to touch the corner of the table, only to notice a deep, fresh scuff mark pressed directly into the polished grain.
Jordan turned his head to look at the interior door standing half-open behind him.
He wondered if the heavy oak door itself had somehow drifted into the furniture, but something about the angle of the scratch didn’t line up with the door’s current position.