Curiosity
902 Words
The second-floor hallway was unusually quiet.
Soft morning sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the polished wooden floor.
Standing before the old wooden door, Elisa smiled as she held a small silver key.
Margaret stood beside her, unable to hide the curiosity in her eyes.
"So..."
"This is your mother's room?"
Elisa nodded happily.
"Daddy says only the two of us are allowed inside."
She carefully inserted the key into the lock.
Click.
The heavy door slowly creaked open.
A cool breeze escaped from the room as though it had been asleep for years.
The curtains remained tightly closed, allowing only a few thin rays of sunlight to slip inside.
Everything was covered in a thin layer of dust.
The room was silent.
Almost sacred.
Elisa reached toward the wall.
"The light isn't working."
She flipped the switch several times.
Nothing.
Margaret quickly switched on the flashlight on her phone.
The narrow beam cut through the darkness, revealing only parts of the room.
A large wooden bed.
An elegant dressing table.
Bookshelves.
Beautiful family portraits.
Every corner still carried Victoria's presence.
It felt as though she had simply stepped out and would return at any moment.
Without wasting time, Elisa walked toward a small wooden desk.
She picked up her mother's old diary.
"I like reading Mommy's diary whenever I come here."
Margaret smiled absent-mindedly.
"Take your time."
Slowly, she wandered around the room.
Her eyes paused at one of the framed family photographs beside an old travel trunk.
As she moved the frame slightly...
Something caught her attention.
A thick document rested neatly on top of the trunk.
Curious, she carefully picked it up.
Before opening it, she glanced toward Elisa.
The little girl remained completely absorbed in her mother's diary.
Margaret quietly unfolded the document.
Her heartbeat quickened.
Property ownership certificates.
Business shares.
Investment records.
Bank authorizations.
Every page carried one name.
Elisa Williams.
Even the Williams Estate itself...
Belonged to Elisa.
At the bottom of several documents were two signatures.
Victoria Jones.
Jones.
Margaret's breathing became uneven.
"So everything..."
"...belongs to Elisa."
Her fingers tightened around the papers.
Suddenly...
"Mom?"
Margaret jumped.
She quickly dropped the document back onto the trunk before turning around.
Elisa stood behind her, smiling innocently.
"I'm done reading."
Margaret forced a smile.
"Then..."
"Let's go."
She gently took Elisa's hand.
The two of them walked out of the room together.
The heavy wooden door closed behind them.
Click.
Silence returned.
...
Several moments passed.
Then...
From the far end of the hallway...
A young maid quietly stepped out from behind a marble pillar.
She had watched everything.
Without hesitation, she approached the locked room.
To anyone else...
It would have been impossible to enter.
But she calmly reached into her apron.
Another key.
She unlocked the door with practiced ease.
Once inside, she walked toward the large wardrobe.
Instead of opening it...
She pressed a hidden carving beneath one of the shelves.
A faint mechanical sound echoed through the room.
Rumble...
Part of the wall slowly slid aside.
A secret passage.
The maid disappeared into the darkness.
At the end of the narrow corridor sat a single figure.
Hidden beneath a long black cloak.
A silver mask concealed every trace of the person's face.
Even the voice that emerged from behind the mask sounded distorted.
Neither masculine...
Nor feminine.
The figure remained perfectly still.
"Has the game begun?"
The maid lowered her head respectfully.
"Yes, Master."
"They entered Victoria's room."
"And Margaret has seen exactly what you wanted her to see."
Silence.
Then...
"Good."
"She only needs one more push."
The maid nodded.
"Everything will proceed according to your plan."
The masked figure slowly leaned back into the darkness.
"See that it does."
"Nothing must happen outside my design."
"Yes..."
"...Master."
The maid bowed once more before disappearing into the shadows.
Moments later...
The secret door closed.
The room returned to silence.
As though no one had ever been there.
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