Chapter 23: Child Abuse

The grand estate echoed with the subtle hum of wealth, a mansion that housed both privilege and secrets. Emma, navigating the ornate corridors, arrived at her son’s designated playroom. A sense of urgency gripped her as she swung open the door, only to be met with a sight that jolted her to her core. The echo of a child’s plaintive cries reverberated through the dimly lit corridor as Emma hurriedly approached the front door of her home. The sense of urgency gripped her heart, each wail intensifying her desperation to reach her three-year-old son, a small beacon of vulnerability caught in the midst of a storm. As she fumbled with the keys, the metallic jangle seemed to mock the urgency of the situation. The air felt thick with tension, a palpable manifestation of the anxiety that had been building within Emma for far too long. Today, however, the cries of her son had elevated the stakes to a heart-wrenching crescendo. The door swung open, revealing the somber atmosphere that pe