Mark sat inside his quiet downtown office while staring at a simple family photo on his desk.
His daughter Lily was eight years old and had the brightest smile in the whole world.
However, Mark had noticed that Lily seemed quiet and sad during the last few months.
He had married Sarah two years ago after losing his first wife to a sudden illness.
At first, Sarah seemed like a kind woman who cared deeply about building a home.
She spoke with a soft voice and always kept the large house completely spotless.
Yet, Mark felt a growing sense of worry every time he left for work early in the morning.
His job kept him busy with long meetings and endless stacks of strict legal documents.
Sarah insisted on staying home to manage the huge estate and supervise the household staff.
She told Mark that she wanted to spend quality time bonding with little Lily.
But the young girl looked more distant every single day he came home from work.
Mark loosened his tie and checked his expensive silver wristwatch with a deep sigh.
It was only mid-afternoon, but an strange gut feeling told him to head home right away.
He stood up from his leather chair and grabbed his dark blue suit jacket quickly.
His secretary asked if he needed anything else before he walked out the heavy door.
Mark simply shook his head and walked fast toward the private parking garage below.
He got inside his black sedan and started the engine without any clear reason.
Traffic on the highway was surprisingly light as he drove toward the quiet suburbs.
He wondered if Sarah was being too strict with Lily about her daily school chores.
Lily had missed her breakfast that morning and looked extremely pale around the table.
Mark pressed his hands on the steering wheel as his heart beat a little faster.
He knew that something inside his bright home was not as peaceful as it seemed.