Chapter 3 - Behind the Mirror
Marcello stepped into the room, flipping the wall switch. Recessed warm lighting illuminated the plush room. On the surface, everything looked pristine—a vanity table stocked with high-end cosmetics, a pair of discarded silk heels near the ottoman, and an array of designer coats hanging on brass racks.
"See?" Julianna said, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Nothing. Just a dressing room. Can we go back downstairs now before you humiliate me any further?"
Lily pulled on Marcello’s hand, leading him toward a massive, antique gilded mirror resting against the far mahogany wall. "Behind here," she insisted softly.
Marcello approached the mirror. He noticed subtle scuff marks on the hardwood floor near its base, indicating it had been moved recently. He gripped the heavy carved frame and pulled it forward three inches.
A thick, flesh-toned silicone foam prosthetic—designed to replicate an eight-month pregnancy bump, complete with adhesive straps—slid out from behind the mirror and fell flat onto the polished floorboards with a soft, hollow thud.
The guests standing near the doorway gasped out loud.
Julianna froze, the blood completely draining from her cheeks until she looked like a ghost standing in her emerald silk dress.
Marcello picked up the prosthetic with two fingers. Attached to the inner strap was a small, high-tech electronic recording device, its tiny blue LED light blinking silently.
"It seems Lily was telling the exact truth," Marcello said softly, looking straight at Julianna. "Your belly did fall off, Julianna. But I don't think you just hid a fake pregnancy. What is this recorder doing attached to it?"
Victor stepped into the room, his expression terrifyingly dark as he stared at the silicone prosthetic. "You lied about the pregnancy to hold onto my brother’s estate. But who were you recording inside this house?"
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Julianna backed away into the hallway, her hands trembling uncontrollably. "You don't understand... I had to... they forced me..."
Before she could finish her sentence, the main power across the entire estate suddenly cut out, plunging the second floor into total, pitch-black darkness.
