The Hawthorne Estate was known for its breathtaking beauty. Golden railings surrounded the upper balconies, crystal chandeliers hung from soaring ceilings, and polished marble floors reflected every beam of light that entered through the enormous windows.
To outsiders, it looked like the perfect home.
Inside, however, a dangerous secret was about to be exposed.
Sophia Bennett slowly walked across the second-floor balcony, holding a legal document tightly against her chest. The papers contained evidence she had spent months gathering—proof of financial fraud involving members of one of the city's most powerful families.
She had planned to hand the documents to investigators that very afternoon.
Only a few people knew what she was carrying.
Sophia gently rested one hand on her pregnant belly.
She smiled for a brief moment, imagining the future she wanted to build for her unborn child.
She never noticed the footsteps behind her.
An older woman approached quietly, her expression cold and emotionless.
Without warning...
She placed both hands against Sophia's back and shoved her with all her strength.
Sophia screamed.
The legal papers slipped from her hands as she lost her balance.
She desperately reached for the golden railing, but her fingertips slid away.
For one horrifying second, she hung in the air.
Then she fell.
Her terrified scream echoed throughout the enormous mansion as she plunged toward the marble floor several stories below.
The legal documents scattered through the air like snow.
Guests looked upward in horror.
House staff froze in disbelief.
No one knew how anyone could survive such a fall.
Far below, another set of footsteps suddenly echoed through the mansion.
Someone was running.
Very fast.