Night rain rattled against the stained window as Detective Archer discovered the lifeless body sprawled across the cold marble foyer. A single bloodied glove lay abandoned near the broken door, haunted by unsettling whispers of betrayal and silent final breaths. Fluorescent lamps flickered erratically overhead, casting long emerald shadows across polished floors stained with evidence of a once joyous celebration. Detective Archer’s gloved fingers trembled against the victim’s wrist, searching futilely for any remaining signs of life that never returned. Far beyond the ornate threshold, ominous ticking from a hidden clock echoed as though marking final moments before unwelcome revelation.