Mark stood up quickly, keeping Lily safe behind his back.
He reached down and gripped the heavy iron handle on the floor.
The metal felt icy cold against his warm palm.
He pulled upward with all his strength, breaking a hidden magnetic seal.
The heavy hatch lifted open, revealing a dark stone staircase leading down.
A cool, damp draft of air blew out from the underground space.
Mark leaned over the dark opening and peered down into the shadow.
Far below in the cellar, a dim yellow bulb was flickering softly.
He saw Sarah sitting against the cold stone wall at the bottom.
Her blonde hair was messy, and she looked up toward the bright opening.
She gasped in terror, shielding her face from the sudden light.
Mark saw small smudges of dirt and red marks across her cheek.
Tears were streaming down her face as she recognized her husband's frame.
"Mark?" Sarah gasped, her voice cracking with fear and exhaustion.
"Sarah! What is going on down there?" Mark shouted in disbelief.
"Don't come down here! He's still inside the house!" Sarah pleaded.
Mark's face turned from confusion to intense, overwhelming shock.
His jaw tightened as he processed what was happening beneath his home.
Someone had locked his wife in a hidden room inside his own house.
Mark turned his head around quickly to check his surroundings.
Two large men in black suits were standing at the top of the stairs.
They wore matching earpieces and had stern, cold expressions on their faces.
Mark recognized them as the private security guards hired by his business partner.
His partner, Arthur, was supposed to be managing the firm's legal affairs today.
Instead, Arthur's personal guards were standing inside Mark's private hallway.
The guards did not look surprised to see Mark kneeling on the floor.
They slowly descended the grand curved staircase, step by step.
"Mr. Davis, you weren't supposed to return until tomorrow evening," one guard said.
Mark stood up to his full height, his eyes narrowing with pure rage.
He kept one arm outstretched to keep his daughter behind him.
The air in the grand entryway felt heavy and dangerous.
Mark realized that the people he trusted had betrayed him completely.
He knew he had to act fast to protect his family.