Chapter 8: The Underground Wing
749 Words
The sound of a child crying echoed through the darkness.
It was soft.
Weak.
But unmistakable.
Isabella's blood ran cold.
She turned to Ethan.
"You said there were no children living here."
"There aren't."
"Then whose voice is that?"
Ethan swallowed hard.
"I prayed you'd never hear it."
Another cry echoed through the mansion.
It came from beneath the floor.
Deep underground.
Victor's voice crackled through the loudspeaker again.
"Go ahead, Isabella."
"Find out what your dear husband has been hiding."
The speakers went silent.
For several seconds, neither Isabella nor Ethan moved.
Finally, Isabella broke the silence.
"Take me there."
Ethan shook his head immediately.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because Mr. Knight ordered that room should never be opened."
"He's in jail."
"And he gave me one final instruction."
"Protect you."
She looked him straight in the eyes.
"And protecting me means telling me the truth."
Ethan hesitated.
Then...
He nodded.
"Follow me."
---
They descended a narrow staircase hidden behind the mansion's library.
The deeper they went...
The colder the air became.
Concrete walls replaced polished marble.
Steel doors replaced expensive paintings.
This part of the mansion looked nothing like the luxurious estate above.
It looked like a military bunker.
At the end of the hallway stood a massive reinforced door.
A fingerprint scanner glowed beside it.
"It won't open," Ethan said.
"It only recognizes Mr. Knight."
Isabella stepped closer.
Suddenly...
The scanner lit up green.
ACCESS GRANTED.
The heavy door slowly opened.
Ethan stared in disbelief.
"How is that possible?"
"I didn't touch anything."
Before either of them could think about it, the lights inside flickered on.
The room was enormous.
Computer servers lined the walls.
Dozens of surveillance monitors displayed live footage from every corner of the mansion.
In the center of the room stood a single glass display case.
Inside...
Was a little pink shoe.
A child's shoe.
Isabella frowned.
"What is this?"
Ethan looked devastated.
"I was afraid of this."
He walked slowly toward the display.
"Five years ago..."
"...Mr. Knight had a daughter."
Isabella's eyes widened.
"A daughter?"
"Her name was Lily."
She stared at him in shock.
"Alexander has a child?"
"He did."
"What do you mean... did?"
Ethan closed his eyes.
"She disappeared."
The room suddenly felt much colder.
"Victor kidn*pped her?"
"We don't know."
"Did she die?"
"No body was ever found."
Isabella looked back at the tiny shoe.
Alexander had never mentioned a child.
He'd never even hinted that he'd once been a father.
"So that's why he never wanted anyone asking about his past."
Ethan nodded slowly.
"Lily was his entire world."
"He searched for her for years."
"He spent billions."
"Hired the best investigators on Earth."
"But she was never found."
A lump formed in Isabella's throat.
For the first time...
She truly understood the sadness hidden behind Alexander's cold eyes.
Just then...
One of the surveillance monitors suddenly turned itself on.
Static filled the screen.
Then...
A little girl appeared.
She couldn't have been older than six.
She looked directly into the camera.
"Daddy..."
Isabella gasped.
"Lily?"
The little girl began crying.
"Daddy..."
"...please come find me."
The screen suddenly changed.
Victor appeared.
He smiled at the camera.
"Touching, isn't it?"
Ethan clenched his fists.
"You monster."
Victor laughed.
"I've been keeping this little secret for years."
He leaned closer.
"If Alexander wants to see his daughter again..."
"...he'll have to give me Knight Global."
The video ended.
Silence.
Isabella felt tears filling her eyes.
"Lily is alive."
Ethan stared at the blank screen.
"After all these years..."
"She's alive."
Before either of them could celebrate...
Every monitor inside the bunker switched to another live feed.
The city jail.
Alexander sat alone inside an interrogation room.
A detective placed a folder in front of him.
"We've identified another witness."
Alexander looked up.
"Who?"
The detective answered quietly.
"Your wife."
Isabella's heart stopped.
"What?"
The detective continued.
"Mrs. Isabella Knight has agreed to testify against you."
Alexander's face went completely still.
He whispered only three words.
"...She wouldn't."
The video froze.
Isabella stared in horror.
"I never said that!"
Ethan's expression darkened.
"They're using deepfake technology."
"They're trying to turn him against you."
A loud explosion suddenly shook the underground bunker.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
The emergency lights flashed red.
WARNING.
SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE ACTIVATED.
Ethan looked at the control panel.
His face turned white.
"Oh no..."
"They've planted explosives beneath the mansion."
A robotic voice echoed through the bunker.
DETONATION IN...
TEN MINUTES.
To Be Continued...
- Writer
