The plastic cut into my skin, but I ignored the pain.

I had to escape, not just for myself, but for the child growing inside me.

Suddenly, a phone vibrated on the other side of the door.

“It’s him,” Marcus whispered sharply.

The door began to rattle again.

I pressed my back against the damp concrete wall, freezing in place.

My breath caught in my throat as the rattle of the door handle stopped.

“Answer it,” Evelyn whispered from the hallway.

“I am,” Marcus muttered.

I heard the slide of a phone screen and the low hum of a voice on the other end.

Marcus stepped further down the corridor, but the cellar door remained slightly ajar, letting their voices drift through the gap.

“Vanessa, tell me it’s done,” Marcus said, his voice tight.

There was a brief pause as Vanessa Hale spoke on the receiver.

“The signature on the policy is verified,” Marcus said, exhaling a long, shaky breath.

“And the payout?” Evelyn asked, her voice closer to the door now.

“Five million dollars,” Marcus said. “Accidental death clause doubles it to ten.”