It was a Saturday morning, they had finished breakfast and Alex had allowed Sophie and Lucas to play in the garden while she relaxed herself a bit. They were quite happy, with Lucas eagerly trying Sophie's suggestions. Alex felt at peace, and she had no idea when she finally dozed off.
She woke to Sophie calling frantically pulling her.
"Mom! Wake up!... I can't find Lucas."
"What!?" She exclaimed, jumping up from the reclining chair and grabbing her daughters shoulder. "What do you mean you can't find Lucas?"
Sophie looked even more frightened. "We were playing inside, and then he suddenly vanished."
Alex didn't wait for Sophie to finish explaining, she was already hurrying inside the house at an alarming pace.
"Lucas? Lucas?... Where are you darling?" Her voice was filled with panic as she ran from room to room, unable to understand how Lucas could just vanish inside the house.
Within minutes, the entire household was in a state of total confusion. All the staff members spread out all over the mansion, while Madame Miller directed them with an overly dramatic concern. She muttered the whole time, about warning Mr Blackwood of a situation like this. Gregory followed her like an evil shadow, occasionally casting evil glances in Alex's direction.
It was a Junior maid who eventually found Lucas after thirty minutes of searching. He was found in the basement, curled up in a dark and abandoned cellar and crying silently.
Alex was the first to reach there immediately the maid raised the alarm that she had found him, and she had been stunned by the condition she found him in. His head was buried between his knees, and he was rocking back and forth as his shoulders shivered with silent sobs. She immediately rushed to his side and knelt beside him.
"Lucas… Lucas, look at me honey. It's okay, you're safe now okay? We're here for you."
But before she could say anymore, she was roughly pulled back.
"Don't you dare touch him," Madame Millers voice echoed through the room. "You've done enough damage as it is, you should stay away from him."
Before Alex could even respond, Gregory had already moved past her and was gathering Lucas into his arms a little too aggressively. Lucas was whimpered and struggled in his arms, but Gregory held on tightly.
"Stop it… you're going to hurt him," Alex called after Gregory, but Madame Miller blocked her path.
"On the contrary Miss Reynolds, you're the one who's hurting him, and I don't want you upsetting him further." she hissed.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Alex barked. "He was just playing with Sophie…"
"Which you allowed!" Madame Miller yelled, halting Alex in her tracks. "You left him unsupervised with that wild daughter of yours, and now look," she pointed at the retreating figure of Gregory with the boy struggling in his arms. "The poor boy is terrified after being lured into a dark cellar."
Alex's mouth fell open in shock. "No one lured him…"
"Save your excuses," Madame Miller interrupted. "I'm calling Mr Blackwood immediately." She said, and then hurried off after Gregory.
Alex turned to Sophie who had come up behind her, sobbing and wiping her eyes.
"What happened back there Sophie?"
Sophie pulled herself together. "I don't know mom, Lucas wanted to play chess so we went into the library. I wanted some juice and he wanted some also, so I went to get some, but when I came back he was gone."
She was sobbing again.
"It's okay darling, I'll take care of this ok?... Go upstairs and rest in your room."
…
Julian arrived a few minutes later, a monstrous cloud of dust following his car as he sped into the estate. Madame Miller rushed out to meet him at the entrance of the mansion, eager to spill the details as if she had organized everything and was eager to narrate her script.
"He was found all alone in the dark cellar down at the basement Mr Blackwood," she said in a sad tone. "He was having a complete breakdown, and his tutor was nowere to be found."
Julian's face was already burning with fury as he moved passed Madame Miller and into the house.
Alex stepped forward to meet him. "Sophie said they were just playing," she tried to explain.
But Madame Miller cut her off immediately. "She left them to wander unsupervised, and her daughter lured Lucas to that dark and terrible place, you know how much he detests the dark sir. That girl is too wild, and her mother encourages her… now look what it's done to our poor Lucas. You know how fragile he is, this could push him back even further."
Gregory came forward like a snake, his hands behind his back and his head bent low. "I'm afraid the Madame is right sir, I saw them go in, the girl led poor master Lucas towards the basement. I should have known she was up to no good and followed them sooner."
"That's a lie." Alex yelled at Gregory, "Spohie would never hurt Lucas intentionally."
"Enough!" Julian bellowed in anger. "Where's my son?"
"He's in his room sir." Gregory answered meekly.
He turned darkly towards Alex who shivered slightly. "You and I are going to have a very long talk." he said, and stormed off towards the direction of Lucas's room.
Alex caught Madame Millers eyes as she headed to her own room… it was filled with mockery.
…
That night, long after Alex had tucked Sophie into bed, she lay awake wondering why Madame Miller was so desperate to sabotage her. She knew they had a hand in it, Madame Miller and Gregory… she recognized that dark look in their eyes, and the way they seemed to enjoy Juliana's anger.
Her door suddenly crashed open, and Julian came in fuming. His nose flared, and his chest heaving as he marched straight to her bed, pointing menacingly at her.
"What the hell were you thinking?" he raged. "I brought you here to take care of my son, and then you let him get traumatized?"
Alex was furious. She shot up from the bed, startled by his ride entrance but not about to be trampled upon in her own room. "It's that why you'd barge in on me like that? I could have been naked." she hissed…