Chapter 1 - The Escape
I didn’t wait for Vivienne to finish her threat.
I scooped Maya into my arms and bolted out the heavy mahogany doors.
My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird.
Vivienne’s furious screams echoed down the marble hallway behind us.
“Security!” she shrieked, her voice cracking with manufactured panic.
“Stop that woman!”
I knew the layout of the Vance estate better than anyone.
I bypassed the grand staircase and ducked into the servants' corridor.
Maya clung to my neck, her small body trembling uncontrollably.
Tears soaked into the collar of my uniform.
I could hear the heavy boots of the private security team pounding on the floorboards above.
They were looking for me.
If they caught me, Vivienne would spin her web of lies, and I would be thrown in a jail cell.
My sick sister would be left with nothing.
I shoved open the door to the panic room hidden behind the library bookshelves.
I punched in the override code Harrison had given me for emergencies.
May you like
The heavy steel door slid shut and locked with a resounding click.
We were safe for the moment, but the real nightmare was just beginning.
