Chapter 5 - Caught in the Web
A cold, heavy hand clad in black leather clamped down onto her shoulder, arresting her movement instantly.
Clara froze, her entire body turning to ice. The warmth drained from her face, leaving her completely breathless. She could feel the faint, steady rise and fall of a chest pressed close to her back. The scent of expensive cologne and ozone filled the air.
Slowly, with agonizing deliberation, she turned her head.
Julian Vance stood there, looking down at her. His handsome face was perfectly calm, a slight, almost affectionate smile playing on his lips. His dark eyes, however, were dead, reflecting the dim hallway lights like twin pools of obsidian.
He leaned in closer, his lips inches from her ear. His voice was a soft, smooth whisper that sent a wave of absolute dread through her soul.
"No one checked into this room today, Clara."
Clara's jaw dropped, a silent gasp escaping her lips. She tried to pull away, but the grip on her shoulder tightened, the leather of his glove digging painfully into her collarbone.
"Mr. Vance... I... I heard something," Clara stammered, her voice cracking with terror. "I was just checking..."
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"Your duties lie in the lower levels, Clara," Julian said softly, his smile remaining perfectly intact. He reached down with his other hand, gently but firmly pried the key ring from her trembling, yellow-gloved fingers, and pocketed them. "Let us have a little chat in my office, shall we? It is much more comfortable than this drafty hallway."
He guided her down the corridor, his grip unbreakable. Clara looked back at the door of Room 304, her heart sinking into a bottomless abyss. She had failed Sarah, and now, she had sealed her own fate.
