{"id":2131,"date":"2026-05-31T15:14:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T15:14:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/?p=2131"},"modified":"2026-05-31T15:14:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T15:14:36","slug":"the-blood-in-ethans-veins-turned-to-ice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/?p=2131","title":{"rendered":"The blood in Ethan\u2019s veins turned to ice."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a class=\"skip-link screen-reader-text\" href=\"https:\/\/newsentertai.com\/thunga\/the-blood-in-ethans-veins-turned-to-ice\/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSJLxZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFBRFRSZ1lpSHFZSU5LdE82c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHptRSGZuggHTKKXnmOx5HHmDxPHWu-p7224U6tHsvw4SKDUnXS__mpf4Nq3S_aem_YWdncwArI_1T7epPmFUYeCYg49Uw&amp;brid=YWdncwEFOnCoZ1AFBRZCVLPyakgi#content\">Skip to conten<\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"content\" class=\"site-content  container\">\n<div class=\"clear\">\n<div id=\"primary\" class=\"content-area\"><main id=\"main\" class=\"site-main\"><\/p>\n<article id=\"post-61681\" class=\"post-61681 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-news\">\n<header class=\"entry-header\">\n<div class=\"entry-meta\"><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<div id=\"idlastshow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"main-content\">\n<p data-path-to-node=\"0\">\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-10\">\n<div class=\"gliaplayer-container styles-module_container_xuywD\" data-slot=\"newsentertai_desktop\" data-gc-slot-occupied=\"\" data-gc-donotuse-internal-id=\"slot-element\" data-gc-boot-time=\"2026-05-31T15:12:08.623Z\" data-gc-test-id=\"gc-instream-slot\" data-gc-instream-style-scope=\"\">\n<div class=\"InstreamDom_root_21jVv\" data-ref=\"root\" data-gc-test-id=\"gc-instream-root\">\n<div class=\"InstreamDom_main_2Up_2\" data-gc-instream-float-sentry=\"\">\n<div class=\"InstreamDom_floater_3bZks\" data-ref=\"floater\" data-gc-test-id=\"gc-instream-floater\" data-gc-instream-floater-state=\"unfloating\" data-animation-name=\"none\">\n<div class=\"InstreamDom_playerBox_1W0YT\" data-arb-aspect-ratio=\"1.7777777777777777\" data-arb-resize-mode=\"compute-height\">\n<div class=\"InstreamDom_player_1y46y\" data-ref=\"player\" data-gc-test-id=\"gc-instream-player\">\n<div id=\"el-152396268\" class=\"styles-module_aspect-ratio-override_FfWVJ\" data-gc-plyr-style-scope=\"\">\n<div class=\"plyr plyr--full-ui plyr--video plyr--html5 plyr--paused plyr--stopped plyr--pip-supported plyr__poster-enabled\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<div class=\"plyr__controls\"><button class=\"plyr__controls__item plyr__control\" type=\"button\" data-plyr=\"play\" aria-pressed=\"false\" aria-label=\"Play\"><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"plyr__controls__item plyr__progress__container\">\n<div class=\"plyr__progress\"><input id=\"plyr-seek-1197\" role=\"slider\" autocomplete=\"off\" max=\"100\" min=\"0\" step=\"0.01\" type=\"range\" value=\"0\" data-plyr=\"seek\" aria-label=\"Seek\" aria-valuemin=\"0\" aria-valuemax=\"91.045011\" aria-valuenow=\"0\" aria-valuetext=\"00:00 of 00:00\" \/><progress class=\"plyr__progress__buffer\" role=\"progressbar\" value=\"89.51945757906493\" max=\"100\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/progress><span class=\"plyr__tooltip\">00:00<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"plyr__controls__item plyr__time--current plyr__time\" aria-label=\"Current time\">00:00<\/div>\n<div class=\"plyr__controls__item plyr__time--duration plyr__time\" aria-label=\"Duration\">01:31<\/div>\n<div class=\"plyr__controls__item plyr__volume\"><button class=\"plyr__control\" type=\"button\" data-plyr=\"mute\" aria-pressed=\"false\"><\/button><input id=\"plyr-volume-1197\" role=\"slider\" autocomplete=\"off\" max=\"1\" min=\"0\" step=\"0.05\" type=\"range\" value=\"0\" data-plyr=\"volume\" aria-label=\"Volume\" aria-valuemin=\"0\" aria-valuemax=\"100\" aria-valuenow=\"0\" aria-valuetext=\"0.0%\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"plyr__video-wrapper\"><video muted=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" data-poster=\"https:\/\/gnetwork.gliastudios.com\/gnetwork\/english_zodiac\/c5ead553af3276bc918108a698ffa98093ede260.jpg?verify=1780239907-t5Fd8Wxi%2FynP5FL6YpdNjTYj7U9b2qtuxZzPuiDJWh4%3D\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/video><\/p>\n<div class=\"plyr__poster\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gliaplayer-container\" data-slot=\"newsentertai_mobile\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"0\">The blood in Ethan\u2019s veins turned to ice.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"1\">The corporate office around him\u2014the hum of the air conditioning, the distant chatter of his colleagues, the tapping of keyboards\u2014vanished into a vacuum of suffocating silence. He stared at the glowing laptop screen, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"2\">On the silent footage, his mother, Lydia, stood tall and imposing over his collapsed wife. Maya was pinned to the cold living room floor, her body contorted in an agony that Ethan had dismissed as \u201cdrama\u201d for fourteen agonizing days. On the screen, Lydia didn\u2019t reach down to help Maya up. She didn\u2019t take the crying newborn to relieve her suffering. Instead, she leaned down, her face twisted into a mask of cold, venomous authority, and delivered the silent threat that Ethan had just read from her lips:<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"3\"><i data-path-to-node=\"3\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">\u201cTell him the truth, and I will take the child away.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"4\">Maya\u2019s reaction was instantaneous. Even without audio, her terror screamed through the pixels. She violently pulled the baby closer to her chest, her knuckles turning white, her eyes wide and wet with a primal, maternal horror. Lydia stood back up, smoothed down her blouse, casually plucked the crying infant from Maya\u2019s trembling arms, and walked out of the camera\u2019s frame, leaving Maya face-down on the floor, shivering and utterly alone.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"5\">\u201cMy God,\u201d Ethan whispered, the words choking him. \u201cWhat have I done?\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"7\">Part 2: The House of Cards<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">The drive back to his apartment was a blur of running red lights and near-misses. Ethan\u2019s hands shook so violently on the steering wheel that he could barely keep the car in its lane.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"9\">For two weeks, he had been a monster. He had let his mother\u2019s whispers poison his mind.\u00a0<i data-path-to-node=\"9\" data-index-in-node=\"88\">\u201cShe\u2019s lazy, Ethan.\u201d \u201cShe\u2019s using the baby to get out of housework.\u201d \u201cIn my day, we didn\u2019t have time to complain about a little backache.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0He had swallowed those lies whole, projecting his own stress onto the woman he had promised to protect.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"10\">When he finally slammed his car into park outside the apartment building, he didn\u2019t even lock the doors. He ran up the stairs, his breath coming in ragged gasps.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"11\">He threw the front door open, expecting chaos, expecting screams.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"12\">Instead, the apartment was eerily quiet. The suffocating scent of lavender air freshener\u2014his mother\u2019s favorite\u2014heavy in the air, masking the usual smell of baby powder.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"13\">\u201cMaya?\u201d Ethan yelled, his voice cracking.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"14\">Lydia stepped out of the kitchen, holding a warm bottle of milk. She looked perfectly composed, a picture of grandmotherly grace. \u201cOh, Ethan! You\u2019re home early, sweetheart. Lower your voice, the baby just went down for a nap.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-11\"><\/div>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"15\">Ethan stared at his mother, seeing her clearly for what felt like the first time in his life. The gentle smile on her face now looked like a sinister caricature. \u201cWhere is Maya?\u201d he demanded, his voice dangerously low.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"16\">\u201cShe\u2019s in the bedroom, resting,\u201d Lydia said, sighing dramatically as she set the bottle down. \u201cHonestly, Ethan, I had to do everything today. She\u2019s just been lying there, refusing to get up. I know she\u2019s a new mother, but her laziness is getting out of hand. I had to clean the kitchen and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"17\">\u201cStop it,\u201d Ethan barked.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"18\">Lydia blinked, genuinely startled. \u201cExcuse me?\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-12\">\n<div id=\"sp_passback-mobileinpage_971\" data-id=\"sp_passback-mobileinpage_971\">\n<div class=\"sp-mobileinpage-google-adx sp-demand-div\" data-demand=\"google-adx\">\n<div class=\"nl-scroll-div\">\n<div>\n<div><iframe data-origwidth=\"\" data-origheight=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"19\">Ethan didn\u2019t answer. He strode past her, pushing open the bedroom door.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"20\">The room was pitch black, the heavy curtains drawn tight. On the bed, Maya lay on her side, curled into a tight fetal position. She was completely still, but as Ethan approached, he heard the faint, ragged sound of her breathing.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"21\">\u201cMaya\u2026\u201d he whispered, dropping to his knees beside the bed.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"22\">She flinched violently at the sound of his voice, pulling away toward the edge of the mattress. When she turned her head slightly, the faint light from the hallway caught her face. Her eyes were swollen shut from crying, her lips pale and cracked.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"23\">\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d she whispered, her voice a hollow shell of what it used to be. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Ethan. I\u2019ll get up. I\u2019ll make dinner. Just\u2026 please don\u2019t let her take Lily. Please.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"24\">The sheer desperation in her voice broke Ethan entirely. Tears pricked his eyes as he reached out to touch her shoulder, but she whimpered, bracing herself for a reprimand that never came.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"25\">\u201cMaya, no. Look at me,\u201d Ethan pleaded, his voice thick with unexpressed tears. \u201cI saw the camera. I saw the footage from this afternoon. I saw you fall.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"26\">Maya froze. Her entire body went rigid. Slowly, painfully, she turned her head further to look at him. \u201cYou\u2026 you saw?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"27\">\u201cI saw everything,\u201d Ethan choked out, taking her ice-cold hand and pressing it to his forehead. \u201cI saw you fall. I saw what she did. I am so sorry, Maya. I was an idiot. I was a cruel, blind idiot. Please, tell me what is happening. What did she mean by \u2018the truth\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"28\">Before Maya could answer, the bedroom door swung wide open. The overhead light clicked on, blinding them both.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"29\">Lydia stood in the doorway, her arms crossed, her eyes darting between Ethan on his knees and Maya on the bed. The grandmotherly facade was entirely gone, replaced by a cold, calculating coldness.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"30\">\u201cEthan, get away from her,\u201d Lydia ordered sharply. \u201cShe\u2019s manipulating you. She\u2019s been putting on a show because she knows you\u2019re soft.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"31\">Ethan stood up slowly, turning to face his mother. The guilt inside him was rapidly mutating into a blinding, white-hot rage. \u201cI saw the CCTV, Mom. I saw her collapse. I saw you threaten her. I saw you tell her you\u2019d take our daughter away if she told me \u2018the truth.\u2019 What truth, Mom? What are you holding over my wife?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"32\">Lydia\u2019s expression didn\u2019t soften. If anything, her gaze turned icier. She let out a short, mocking laugh. \u201cOh, Ethan. You always were too trusting. You think she hurt her back just from carrying the baby? You think this is just standard postpartum pain?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"33\">Lydia stepped into the room, pointing a manicured finger at Maya, who was now trembling so hard the bedframes vibrated.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"34\">\u201cAsk your precious wife what happened the night before she went into labor,\u201d Lydia hissed. \u201cAsk her about the staircase at my house. Ask her what she did, and what she begged me to cover up so you wouldn\u2019t leave her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"35\">Ethan\u2019s breath hitched. He looked back at Maya.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"36\">Maya\u2019s face had gone completely bloodless. She covered her face with her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. \u201cNo\u2026 please, Lydia, don\u2019t. You promised. For the sake of the baby, you promised!\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"37\">\u201cWhat is she talking about, Maya?\u201d Ethan asked, his world tilting on its axis.<\/p>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"39\">### The Dark Shadow of the Past<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"40\">To understand the terror in Maya\u2019s eyes, Ethan had to look back to the final weeks of her pregnancy. Maya had been a high-risk pregnancy, plagued by severe preeclampsia and excruciating pelvic pain. Yet, his mother had insisted on throwing a massive family gala at her suburban estate, demanding Maya\u2019s presence to \u201cshow off the continuation of the family line.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"41\">Ethan remembered that night vividly. He had been called away to the office for an emergency server crash, leaving Maya alone with his family. When he returned, Maya was in early labor, pale and shaken, claiming her water had broken early due to stress. They had rushed to the hospital, and in the chaos of Lily\u2019s birth, no one questioned the timing.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"42\">But now, looking at the two women in the dim light of his bedroom, Ethan realized a completely different story had unfolded in his absence.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"43\">\u201cShe won\u2019t tell you, Ethan, because she knows it makes her a criminal,\u201d Lydia said, her voice dripping with venomous satisfaction. \u201cThe night of the gala, your wife was snooping through my private study upstairs. She found something she shouldn\u2019t have. And when I caught her, she panicked. She ran out into the hallway, lost her footing, and fell down the entire flight of hardwood stairs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"44\">Ethan felt a physical blow to his chest. \u201cShe fell? Before giving birth?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"45\">\u201cYes,\u201d Lydia purred, stepping closer. \u201cShe landed directly on her lower back and pelvis. She begged me not to call an ambulance, begged me not to tell you because she knew you would realize she was snooping into our family\u2019s private financial records. I helped her. I hid her bruises. I drove her to the hospital myself and let the doctors believe it was just a natural, sudden labor. Her spine didn\u2019t break two weeks ago, Ethan. Her spine cracked\u00a0<i data-path-to-node=\"45\" data-index-in-node=\"448\">that night<\/i>. And she has been hiding it from you to cover up her own greed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"46\">\u201cThat\u2019s not true!\u201d Maya screamed, a sudden, desperate burst of energy forcing her to sit up, though the movement caused her to gasp in sheer agony. \u201cEthan, that\u2019s not how it happened! I wasn\u2019t snooping! I found\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"47\">\u201cSilence!\u201d Lydia barked, stepping toward the bed with an authority that made Maya instinctively recoil. \u201cOne more word out of you, Maya, and I call the family lawyers. I have the medical records from the hospital entrance. I have the signed statements. I will have you declared an unfit, negligent mother who endangered her unborn child for a grudge. You will never see Lily again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"48\">Ethan stood frozen between them, his mind screaming. He looked at his mother\u2014the woman who had raised him, who had always been controlling, but whom he never believed capable of outright malice. Then he looked at Maya, his wife, the mother of his child, broken in half on their bed, terrified of losing her daughter.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"49\">\u201cEthan\u2026\u201d Maya whispered, tears streaming down her pale cheeks into her hair. \u201cYou have to believe me. I didn\u2019t fall because I was running away. She\u2026 she pushed me.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 data-path-to-node=\"51\">### The Trap Closes<\/h2>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"52\">The silence that followed Maya\u2019s accusation was deafening.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"53\">Lydia didn\u2019t even flinch. Instead, a slow, terrifying smile spread across her face. \u201cA desperate lie from a desperate girl. Who do you think the courts will believe, Ethan? A highly respected member of the Chicago philanthropic board, or a girl with no family, no assets, and a documented history of postpartum depression medication?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"54\">Lydia turned her back on Maya, fixing her cold eyes entirely on Ethan.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"55\">\u201cI am giving you a choice, my son,\u201d Lydia said softly, her voice returning to that sickeningly sweet tone she used in public. \u201cThis woman is unstable. She is tracking dirt into our family name, and now she is accusing me of attempted murder. I have a medical team on standby. We can commit her to a private psychiatric facility tonight for severe postpartum psychosis. It will explain her physical injuries, it will explain her delusions, and it will protect Lily. You and I can raise the baby together. The way it should be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"56\">Ethan looked at his mother\u2019s face. He saw the cold calculation, the absolute lack of empathy. Then he looked at the laptop sitting on the living room table through the open door, still displaying the frozen frame of Maya collapsing to the floor, holding their baby like her own life didn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"57\">He knew his mother was capable of terrible things to protect her reputation. But he also knew he had been a blind fool for fourteen days, ignoring his wife\u2019s agony. If he made the wrong choice now, he would lose her forever.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"58\">\u201cWhere are the documents, Mom?\u201d Ethan asked, his voice completely flat, devoid of emotion.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"59\">Lydia smiled triumphantly. \u201cIn my bag in the kitchen. Sign the authorization for the medical transport, Ethan. Let\u2019s end this drama.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"60\">Lydia turned and walked out of the bedroom toward the kitchen, confident in her victory.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"61\">The moment she was out of sight, Ethan dropped back to his knees beside Maya. He grabbed her face gently in his hands. \u201cMaya, listen to me. I don\u2019t have much time. Did she really push you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"62\">Maya nodded frantically, fresh tears spilling over. \u201cI found a file in her study\u2026 she was transferring your father\u2019s trust fund money out of your name into an offshore account before he died. She saw me reading it. She caught me at the top of the stairs, Ethan. She didn\u2019t just push me\u2026 she whispered that if I ever told you, she\u2019d make sure I died in childbirth. Please, Ethan, you have to believe me. My back\u2026 I can\u2019t feel my legs at all now. Something is bleeding inside.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"63\">Ethan felt a cold dread settle deep in his gut. He realized with terrifying clarity that his mother hadn\u2019t just come over to \u201chelp\u201d with the baby today. She had come to finish what she started, using Maya\u2019s physical collapse as the perfect excuse to lock her away forever and keep her mouth shut.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"64\">He heard the rustle of papers from the kitchen. His mother was coming back.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"65\">\u201cMaya,\u201d Ethan whispered, his eyes blazing with a sudden, fierce determination. \u201cI am going to get you and Lily out of here. But I need you to trust me for the next five minutes. No matter what I say, no matter what I do\u2026 trust me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"66\">Maya stared at him, her eyes wide with fear and a tiny, fragile spark of hope.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"67\">Ethan stood up, wiped the tears from his face, and walked out into the living room to meet his mother.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"68\">Lydia was standing by the dining table, a set of legal documents spread out next to a black pen. \u201cHere it is, Ethan. Sign the emergency psychiatric hold. The ambulance is already waiting down the street. I called them before you even got home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"69\">Ethan picked up the pen. His hand was steady now, fueled by a righteous fury he had never felt before in his life. He looked down at the paperwork. It was heavily detailed, already filled out with his mother\u2019s handwriting, describing Maya as a danger to herself and her child.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"70\">He lowered the pen to the signature line.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"71\">\u201cYou\u2019re doing the right thing for the family, Ethan,\u201d Lydia whispered, leaning in.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"72\">Ethan\u2019s finger hovered over the paper. But instead of signing, he looked his mother dead in the eye and said, \u201cYou\u2019re right, Mom. Family comes first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"73\">With a sudden, violent movement, Ethan didn\u2019t sign the paper. Instead, he grabbed his phone from his pocket, hit a button, and a loud, clear voice suddenly echoed from the Bluetooth speaker in the kitchen.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"74\">It was Lydia\u2019s voice. Recorded just two minutes ago from the hidden microphone Ethan had installed in the bedroom ceiling alongside the CCTV weeks ago.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"75\"><i data-path-to-node=\"75\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">\u201c\u2026We can commit her to a private psychiatric facility tonight for severe postpartum psychosis. It will explain her physical injuries, it will explain her delusions\u2026 You and I can raise the baby together.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"76\">Lydia\u2019s face dropped. The color drained from her cheeks instantly. \u201cYou\u2026 you recorded me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"77\">\u201cI didn\u2019t just record you, Mom,\u201d Ethan said, his voice dropping to a terrifying whisper as he pointed to his phone screen. \u201cI\u2019m broadcasting this live to the Chicago Police Department dispatch line right now. They\u2019re listening to every word.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"78\">Lydia gasped, lunging forward to grab the phone, but Ethan stepped back, his face a mask of absolute fury.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"79\">But before Ethan could say another word, a horrific, choking gasp echoed from the bedroom.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"80\">It wasn\u2019t a cry of fear. It was the sound of someone suffocating.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"81\">Ethan turned around just in time to see the bedroom doorway. Maya had somehow managed to drag her paralyzed body off the bed, trying to reach the living room, but she was now lying face down in the hallway, a dark, terrifying pool of crimson blood rapidly spreading out from beneath her sweatpants onto the white carpet.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"82\">And from the baby\u2019s room down the hall, the sudden, piercing sound of a smoke alarm began to wail, followed by the smell of burning plastic.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"83\">Lydia looked at the blood, then at the smoke rising from the hallway, and let out a chilling, hysterical laugh. \u201cYou think you won, Ethan? Look around you. You\u2019re too late.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/main><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Skip to conten 00:00 00:00 01:31 The blood in Ethan\u2019s veins turned to ice. The corporate office around him\u2014the hum of the air conditioning, the distant chatter of his colleagues, &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2132,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2131"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2131\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2133,"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2131\/revisions\/2133"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}