Chapter 246

Ethan moved through the mansion’s corridors with a deliberate slowness, his bare feet making almost no sound on the cool marble floors. The shadows cast by the dimmed lights stretched across the hallway like silent sentinels, the stillness of the night wrapping itself around him. His mind kept returning to Sandra—she was in the guest room, the last place anyone had seen her. His gut told him to check on her. Something felt off, even though nothing about her absence was alarming yet. It was more of an instinctual pull, something he couldn’t quite place.

The door to the guest room was slightly ajar when he arrived, a small crack of light spilling into the hallway. Ethan pushed it open with a gentle nudge, careful not to make a sound. As he stepped inside, the first thing he noticed was the biting cold that filled the room. The air conditioner was on full blast, humming softly, creating a chill that made his skin prickle. Despite the coolness, the room was serene, a sharp contrast to the