Seven-year-old Leo ran down the polished marble hallway as fast as his small legs could carry him.
His red striped shirt was damp with sweat as he rounded the corner near the grand staircase.
The quiet air of the mansion was broken only by the sharp sound of his squeaking sneakers.
He gripped his plastic toy airplane tightly while tears streamed down his flushed cheeks.
Leo knew he had to find his father before his stepmother noticed he was gone from his room.
His heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird trying to escape a cage.
He stopped near the study door and took a ragged breath to calm his shaking chest.
The heavy oak doors of the mansion study stood slightly open, letting warm light spill onto the floor.
Leo: Daddy! Grandmother is locked inside the vault!
His voice echoed off the high ceilings and painted portraits of ancestors lining the white walls.
Inside the study, Daniel looked up from his dark mahogany desk with a sudden expression of deep confusion.
He dropped his gold fountain pen onto a stack of thick legal papers regarding his mother's estate.
Daniel stood up quickly, pushing his leather chair back against the books behind him.
He wore a tailored navy suit that usually looked immaculate, but his tie was now loosened at his collar.
Daniel: Leo, what are you saying?
Leo: She trapped her down there!
Leo: She turned the big wheel and hid the key!
Leo pointed his small finger frantically toward the heavy steel door at the far end of the hallway.
The reinforced vault was built into the home decades ago to protect family heirlooms and legal documents.
It was a massive door made of solid brushed steel with a polished chrome wheel in the center.
Daniel stepped out into the hallway, his face pale as he looked at his terrified son.
Before Daniel could take another step, high heels clattered loudly against the smooth white marble flooring.
Victoria appeared around the corner, her silk blouse glistening under the overhead chandelier lights.
Her face was twisted with anger as she reached out and grabbed Leo roughly by his small arm.
Victoria: Do not touch that door!
She pulled the boy back from the vault and scolded him with a sharp, harsh tone.
Leo stumbled back onto the bright marble floor, crying out in fear as he looked at his father.
Daniel gasped and rushed forward immediately, his eyes burning with intense anger.
He scooped his crying son up into his arms and held him tight against his chest.
Daniel: Don't you ever touch my son!
Victoria: He was making up ridiculous stories again, Daniel!
Victoria: He is lying to get your attention!
Leo: I am not lying, Daddy!
Leo: Daddy, she locked grandma inside!
Daniel looked from his sobbing son to the cold, locked steel door standing at the end of the hall.
A terrible silence settled over the corridor as the truth began to settle in Daniel's mind.