Chapter 15 - The Banishment
"Get out of this house," Daniel repeated, pointing toward the hallway. "You have exactly five minutes to walk out that front door, or I will throw you through it myself."
Rebeca looked at the shattered phone, then at the massive, furious man standing before her. She realized with absolute certainty that the game was over. There was no charm, no manipulation, and no lie that could save her now.
She turned and practically ran down the hallway, her bare feet slapping against the hardwood.
Daniel did not follow her immediately. He turned back to the children. He knelt down, picking Sofía up in his arms and holding out his hand to Mateo. Together, the three of them walked out of the ruined nursery and stood at the top landing of the grand staircase.
They watched as Rebeca frantically gathered her expensive coat and her purse from the foyer. She didn't bother packing her clothes or her jewelry; the sheer terror radiating from Daniel upstairs was enough to override her greed.
She reached the massive front double doors and threw them open. The heavy rain from the morning storm was still pouring down, washing over the gravel driveway. Rebeca stepped out into the freezing downpour, the wind instantly whipping her wine-colored robe around her legs. She turned back one last time, looking up at the staircase. She looked pathetic, soaked, and entirely defeated.
Daniel didn't say a word. He reached out and slammed the heavy oak doors shut, turning the deadbolt with a loud, satisfying click.
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The silence that descended upon the foyer was immediate and profound. The oppressive, suffocating shadow that had haunted the mansion for weeks was instantly banished into the storm outside.
Daniel let out a long, shuddering breath, the adrenaline finally beginning to leave his system. He looked down at the little girl in his arms, her head resting securely on his shoulder, and then at the young boy standing fiercely by his side. The house felt empty, but for the first time in two years, it finally felt entirely safe. The monster was gone.
