The Texas sun was beating down hard on the sprawling estate in Dallas.
Julian pulled his grey suit jacket tighter around his shoulders despite the intense summer heat.
He had spent his whole life watching his mother build this massive family empire from nothing.
Eleanor was now seventy-two years old and her health had been fading for months.
She had built a multimillion-dollar real estate business after Julian's father passed away decades ago.
Her mind was still sharp, but her body was slowing down every single day.
That was why Victoria had moved into the guest house three months ago.
Victoria was the daughter of Eleanor's late business partner and claimed to love Eleanor dearly.
She wore expensive designer clothes and always spoke in a sweet, soft voice around the family.
Julian had never truly trusted her smooth words or her constant presence around his mother.
He walked up the sweeping driveway toward the heavy wooden doors of the primary mansion.
The house was quiet, save for the hum of the central air conditioning unit outside.
He wanted to check on the legal paperwork for the family trust fund today.
Eleanor wanted to make sure her grand-children were fully taken care of for generations.
Julian stepped inside the grand foyer and called out his mother's name into the quiet space.
No one answered his call, which made his heart beat just a little bit faster.
He walked past the large dining room toward the back entrance of the estate.
The glass doors looked out over the crystal clear swimming pool and marble patio.
Julian noticed the patio door was left slightly open, letting the hot Texas air inside.
He picked up a heavy glass bottle of sparkling water from the kitchen counter.
He decided to head outside to see if his mother was resting by the water.
As he stepped onto the stone patio, he heard a strange splashing sound nearby.
It was not a gentle swim sound, but a harsh and frantic fight against the water.
Julian froze in his tracks as a sharp wave of fear washed over him.