Chapter 3 - STEPPING INTO THE LIGHT
Gently lifting the three girls to their feet, Mark wrapped his warm suit jacket around his oldest daughter's shivering shoulders.
He stepped out of the dark, suffocating room through the heavy wooden door into the brightly lit hallway.
Directly outside the doorway, the framed United States flag mounted on the wall caught the bright glare of the overhead lights.
The contrast between the symbol of American freedom and the domestic tyranny hidden behind the door made his stomach churn.
"Hold onto my hands tightly, girls... we are walking out of this house right this second," Mark instructed with calm, unyielding authority.
They walked past the ornate hallway arches, the faint sound of laughter and orchestral music drifting up from the grand ballroom below.
The girls shrank back in fear as the lively sounds of the high-society party echoed closer to their ears.
"Don't look at them, keep your eyes on me," Mark whispered gently, guiding his daughters down the sweeping staircase.
Every single step down those polished wooden stairs felt like a march toward a reckoning that had been long overdue.
The heavy scent of expensive perfume, roasting prime rib, and champagne grew stronger with every descending floor.
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Mark stepped into the grand foyer, his jaw clenched so tightly a muscle ticked violently along his jawline.
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