CHAPTER 2 — THE EMPTY MANSION
Preston didn't come home until nearly noon the next day.
He was smiling when his Aston Martin turned through the iron gates.
The smile disappeared instantly.
The driveway was empty.
No gardeners.
No housekeepers.
No security staff.
No luxury cars lined beside the fountain.
Even the Whitmore family flag had been removed from the main entrance.
"What the hell?"
He parked and hurried inside.
Silence.
The mansion felt abandoned.
The grand piano was gone.
The paintings were gone.
The antique furniture Eleanor's mother had collected for decades was gone.
Every room looked stripped clean.
Only dust remained where their lives had once existed.
His phone buzzed.
An email.
Then another.
And another.
His smile vanished completely.
ACCESS DENIED.
COMPANY CREDIT CARD TERMINATED.
CORPORATE ACCOUNT SUSPENDED.
WHITMORE CONTRACTS CANCELLED.
He stared at the screen in disbelief.
This had to be a mistake.
A temporary error.
Then his father's name appeared on the caller ID.
Preston answered immediately.
"Dad?"
The old man's voice shook.
"What did you do?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The Whitmore contracts are gone!"
Preston felt ice crawl into his chest.
"What?"
"The bank just called. Investors are pulling out. Nobody is answering us. We're finished."
The call ended.
For the first time in years, Preston felt fear.
Real fear.
Not because he had lost money.
Because he suddenly realized Eleanor had never needed him.
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He had needed her.
And now she was gone.
