Mark stood in the middle of his quiet living room.
The sun beamed brightly through the floor to ceiling windows.
Everything inside the home was kept completely spotless and orderly.
Yet the large house always felt completely cold and empty.
He adjusted the cuffs of his black tailored suit jacket.
He was getting ready to leave for the family business.
A small nanny named Sarah walked into the hallway.
She held the hand of a little seven year old girl named Lily.
Lily was the daughter of Mark's late younger sister.
Mark had taken custody of Lily two years ago.
Lily pointed her tiny finger straight up toward the ceiling.
Mark stared at the little girl with a confused expression.
Girl: I think your wife is hiding from you!
Mark froze as a sudden chill ran down his spine.
His heart beat heavily against his ribs in that quiet room.
His eyes grew red and filled with sudden hot tears.
Mark: My wife died five years ago!
The words choked in his throat as he spoke them.
He remembered the horrible call from the city hospital clearly.
He remembered sign papers for the sad police report long ago.
Sarah stepped forward and placed a hand on Lily's shoulder.
Maid: Sir, she found something in the attic.
Mark took a deep breath to calm his racing pulse.
He looked down into the bright eyes of his niece.
Mark: What did you find up there?
Girl: A letter with your name on it!
Lily reached into her small apron pocket with total focus.
She pulled out a crumpled yellow envelope tied with string.
Mark reached out a trembling hand to take the paper.
The hand writing on the front was unmistakable to him.
It was the neat handwriting of his lost wife Clara.
He untied the small string with shaking fingers right away.
The paper smelled faintly of old lavender and dry dust.
He pulled the folded page from the aged yellow paper envelope.
His eyes scanned the top line written in dark ink.
The words warned him not to trust his own family.
Mark dropped his briefcase onto the hard marble floor surface.
The loud thud echoed off the high white walls around them.
Sarah took a slow step back toward the front door.
She looked nervous about the sudden tension in the house.
Mark looked up from the paper with a pale face.
He asked Lily where exactly she had found the box.
Lily pointed toward the dark wooden door of the attic.
Mark walked toward the stairs with fast heavy steps today.