Chapter 2 - The Forbidden Room
Sarah pushed the heavy mahogany handle with trembling, ice-cold fingers.
The latch clicked with a sound that echoed like a gunshot in her ears.
She slowly pushed the door open, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
The private study was a cavern of dark wood, wall-to-wall books, and deep green velvet.
But Sarah was not looking at the expensive decor or the breathtaking view of the bay.
She immediately stopped breathing.
There, sitting perfectly in the center of a priceless Persian rug, was Violet.
Her little yellow polka-dot dress was a bright splash of color in the gloomy, serious room.
But that was not what made Sarah’s blood run completely cold.
Behind the massive oak desk, a secret panel in the wall had been left wide open.
A hidden steel safe was exposed, its heavy metal door swung ajar.
Violet was happily sitting on the floor, surrounded by stacks of hundred-dollar bills and glittering jewelry.
The toddler held a beautiful, diamond-encrusted pocket watch in her tiny, sticky hands.
"Violet, no!" Sarah hissed, rushing forward and dropping to her knees.
She frantically began gathering the money, her hands shaking violently.
She had to put everything back before Mr. Maxwell returned and accused her of being a thief.
This was no longer just about losing a job; this was about going to prison.
She grabbed the diamond watch from Violet’s hands, ignoring the child’s soft whine of protest.
Just as Sarah reached for the last stack of bills, a shadow fell across the doorway.
"What exactly is going on in here?" a voice asked.
It was not Mr. Maxwell.
It was Ms. Sterling, the strict, terrifying house manager who had hired Sarah just three days ago.
Her sharp eyes darted from the open safe to the money in Sarah’s hands, and finally to the toddler on the floor.
A slow, wicked smile crept across Ms. Sterling’s face.
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"Well, well, well," the house manager sneered.
"I always knew you desperate, homeless types were nothing but filthy thieves."
