Chapter 16
Two days later, the bright, cinematic facade of the Reed suburban estate was beginning to rot from the inside out. The pristine white walls felt like a tomb.
The power had been cut. The massive house was freezing, the expensive HVAC system dead. Robert sat in the mahogany armchair, wrapped in a cashmere blanket, shivering violently. His rosy skin was pale and drawn, the patriarchal arrogance completely eradicated.
Rebecca huddled on the sofa, her emerald silk blouse ruined, her designer heels abandoned. She was weeping uncontrollably, clutching her phone, desperately hoping for a signal that would never come.
"We are going to die in here," Rebecca sobbed, her voice echoing in the dark, cold living room. "He is starving us to death."
"He won't kill us," Linda whispered from the floor, clutching her knees. "He's just punishing us. We have to wait. We just have to wait."
Suddenly, the heavy front door unlocked with a loud, metallic clack.
The three Reeds scrambled to their feet, their eyes wide with sheer, unadulterated panic. The door swung open, and Daniel stepped into the freezing foyer. He was dressed in his tailored, charcoal-grey shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal his strong forearms. He carried no weapons, but the imposing, dangerous aura he exuded was suffocating.
He walked slowly into the living room, his expensive leather shoes crunching over the shattered glass that still littered the hardwood floor. He looked at the three trembling, pathetic figures standing in the wreckage of their perfect American dream.
"Daniel," Robert croaked, dropping to his knees on the Persian rug. "Daniel, please. We're sorry. We'll do anything. Just let us go."
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Daniel didn't answer immediately. He looked at Rebecca, whose vicious contempt was entirely replaced by cowardice. He looked at Linda, whose obsession with social perfection was destroyed. And he looked at his father, the man who had held his daughter down.
"I told you," Daniel said, his voice dangerously low. "Blood doesn't protect you. Blood is just a liability."
