Chapter 1
Dead silence enveloped the grand foyer like a suffocating shroud as the heavy oak doors swung on their hinges. Detective Miller stepped across the marble threshold, his tan trench coat flapping against his trousers with measured, authoritative weight.
At the top of the grand white marble staircase, Victoria stood frozen in her royal blue velvet dress, her hands still trembling over her mouth. The fake terror in her eyes instantly dissolved, replaced by a cold, prickling wave of raw horror.
Beside her, the older woman in the charcoal grey tailored suit gasped, clutching her pearls in genuine, unscripted shock.
At the base of the stairs, Clara lay still in her soft pink maternity dress, her silver smartphone resting beside her palm. Her dark hair, pulled into a neat low ponytail, spilled across the pristine marble surface.
Slowly, deliberately, Clara turned her head toward the top of the landing, her expression shifting into a chilling, calculated smile.
"Detective, the perpetrator is standing right under the chandelier with her hands covered in velvet," Clara stated, her voice as smooth as ice.
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Victoria's jaw dropped as she backed away from the banister, her high heels clicking frantically against the hardwood floor. "This is insane! She fell! You all saw her slip on her own hem!" Victoria shrieked, looking at the older woman for support.
"Save your breath, Ms. Sterling," Detective Miller interrupted calmly, pulling a pair of polished steel handcuffs from his coat pocket.
