The night air felt heavy around the large stone estate.
Julian sat quietly in his wheelchair beside the bright blue water.
He looked at the clear reflection of the moon above.
His legs were still weak from the car accident months ago.
He wanted to recover his strength and move freely again.
The quiet house felt colder since his mother passed away.
His father had married Rachel only six months after the funeral.
Rachel always spoke with a sweet tone around his father.
She pretended to care deeply about Julian when others watched.
When they were alone, her dark eyes revealed her true hatred.
Julian heard footsteps approaching on the wet concrete path.
He turned his head slowly to see who was behind him.
Rachel stood in her elegant black dress with a cold smile.
She held a wine glass and looked down at his helpless body.
She did not speak a single word for a long minute.
Julian felt a chill run down his back as she stepped closer.
He asked her what she wanted at this late hour.
She simply smirked and placed her hands on his wheelchair handles.
Julian tried to grab the heavy rubber wheels with his hands.
His fingers slipped on the smooth metal rims without traction.
He called out for his father, but no sound came through.
Rachel bent down close and whispered softly into his ear.
She said that his inheritance belonged only to her own son.
She added that accidents happen to sick people all the time.
With one hard shove, she pushed the heavy chair forward.
Julian gasped as the chair tipped over the deep edge.
The splash echoed across the quiet courtyard like a gunshot.
Cold water swallowed him instantly, pulling him toward the bottom.
He struggled against the weight of the metal frame around him.
His lungs burned as he tried to break free underwater.