Chapter 5
Chapter 5 - MIDNIGHT FLIGHTThe storm arrived exactly as predicted, a torrential downpour that whipped the trees against the Miller mansion and knocked out the local power grid. The backup generators immediately kicked in, but for a few precious seconds, the security cameras were blind. That was Clara's window.It was 2:00 AM. Ethan was passed out from drinking too much whiskey after a stressful board meeting, and Eleanor was asleep in the master suite downstairs. Moving like a ghost, Clara slipped out of bed. She didn't pack clothes or jewelry; she only took her burner phone, a small flash drive containing all of Leo's required evidence, and her ultrasound photos.
She crept down the servant's staircase, her bare feet making no sound on the wooden steps. As she reached the heavy side door leading to the gardens, she froze. A floorboard creaked behind her.
Clara turned slowly, her heart stopping. Standing at the end of the dark hallway, illuminated only by a flash of lightning through the window, was Eleanor. The old woman was wearing a long, silk robe, her silver hair down, looking like a specter from a nightmare.
"Where do you think you are going, you little thief?" Eleanor whispered, taking a slow step forward.
"I’m leaving," Clara said, her voice surprisingly steady, finding an untapped reservoir of strength inside herself. "And you will never touch my child."
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Eleanor sneered, reaching for the wall-mounted intercom to wake Ethan. "You won't make it past the gate."
But Clara didn't wait. She slammed the side door open, plunging directly into the freezing, driving rain. She ran through the muddy gardens, ignoring the thorns tearing at her nightgown. Just beyond the side gate, a black sedan was waiting with its headlights off. The door flew open, and Leo Vance reached out, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the warm safety of the vehicle just as Ethan’s enraged shouts echoed from the mansion balcony. The car sped away into the dark storm, leaving the Miller prison behind forever.
