Chapter 3: The Desperate Sprint Across the Lawn
Inside the mansion’s expansive study, Ethan had just hung up his phone when the piercing, terror-filled echo of Claire’s scream cut through the glass doors.
A primal jolt of adrenaline surged through Ethan’s veins. Dropping his phone onto the mahogany desk, he sprinted across the polished hardwood floor, bursting through the sliding glass patio doors into the cool evening air. His eyes swept the terrace in a frantic, sweeping arc.
Claire was gone. The edge of the infinity pool was empty, save for a single white high heel lying overturned near the stone coping. Dark ripples radiated outward across the water's surface, reflecting the fading amber light of dusk.
Ethan did not waste a single second shouting questions or hesitating. Driven by raw, heroic instinct and sheer terror for his wife and unborn child, Ethan launched himself forward. He broke into a blistering sprint across the manicured green lawn, his white dress shirt fluttering in the wind as he closed the distance to the pool in a matter of seconds.
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Without slowing his pace, Ethan dove horizontally off the stone edge, cutting through the air in a clean, powerful arc before plunging headfirst into the dark water of the pool in a desperate, do-or-die attempt at rescue.
The shock of the cold water hit him instantly, but adrenaline and survival focus kept him moving. Ethan kicked hard, opening his eyes beneath the surface as he scanned the murky depths for any sign of his wife. The sprawling luxury of the modern mansion faded away, replaced by the grim reality of a life-or-death battle against time and treachery.
