Clara dropped down to her knees onto the cool dark floorboards.
She noticed a thin piece of white mesh fabric trapped inside a tiny seam.
The delicate lace was jammed firmly between two overlapping hardwood planks near the wall.
Clara reached out her fingers and gripped the loose edge of the cloth.
She pulled gently, expecting a small stray rag or old piece of cloth.
Instead, several inches of fine white lace emerged from the deep wooden crack.
The material was covered in subtle hand-stitched floral patterns made of fine silk thread.
Clara's breath caught in her throat as her heart began to beat fast.
She knew that pattern because she had helped press it five years ago.
Clara: Boss! This veil is coming out of the floor!
Julian turned around quickly, his face going pale in the bright daylight.
He walked across the wide room with fast, heavy strides toward the maid.
He knelt beside Clara on the cold floor and stared down in total disbelief.
His hands began to shake as he reached out to grab the cloth.
Julian: This was Evelyn's... I bought this for her myself in Paris.
He grabbed the lace firmly and gave a sudden, hard tug upward.
The wood creaked loudly as a narrow hidden trapdoor shifted beneath the floorboards.
A thick layer of dust fell away from the hidden seams in the floor.
Julian wedged his fingers into the gap and pulled with all his strength.
Clara joined in, using both hands to help lift the heavy wooden hatch.
With a loud snap, a spring-loaded lock snapped open inside the hidden floor frame.
The heavy hatch opened upward, revealing a dark, hidden square chamber below.
Cool, stale air rushed out into the warm, bright foyer of the mansion.
Julian leaned over the opening, his lungs gasping for fresh air in shock.
Leo hurried over, looking down into the dark opening with wide eyes.
The security guards stepped forward, instantly reaching for their radios in alert.
Deep down inside the illuminated space, something moved slightly in the dim shadow.
A soft, high-pitched sobbing sound echoed up from the concrete floor below.
Julian froze completely as his eyes adjusted to the dim light down there.