Chapter 3 - Unlikely Allies
The morning sun brought no comfort, only the headlines. News of the incident at the Vance gala had spread rapidly, despite the family’s frantic efforts to buy off the press. Julian arrived at Elena's apartment before noon, looking exhausted, his eyes bloodshot.
"Elena, please come home," Julian pleaded, standing at her threshold. "We can hire the best doctors. We can figure this out together."
"I am not sick, Julian," Elena replied calmly from the doorway. "And I am not going back to that house."
Before Julian could answer, a man approached from the hallway. He was dressed in a worn leather jacket, carrying a heavy leather briefcase. This was Marcus Vance, Julian’s estranged elder brother who had left the family business ten years prior to pursue local history and investigative journalism.
"She’s telling the truth, Julian," Marcus said firmly. "And you know it."
Julian turned, his expression defensive. "Marcus? You haven't spoken to us in a decade. What do you know about this?"
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"I know why our grandfather built the north wing over the old foundation," Marcus said, pulling a yellowed folder from his bag. "And I know what happened to the housekeeper’s daughter in 1984. Elena isn't the first person that house tried to erase."
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