Chương 10
Then Dominic said, “Ethan.”
My stomach dropped.
He turned so fast the chair behind him rolled into the wall.
“Call Harris.”
“Harris is with Daniel.”
“Then call Rosa.”
Gabriel dialed.
No answer.
He tried again.
Nothing.
Dominic was already at the door.
I followed.
We ran.
The private stairwell was closer than the main one.
Dominic took the steps two at a time.
I struggled to keep up.
At the second-floor landing, one of the guards assigned to the hallway was gone.
The other was lying near the wall.
Dominic stopped hard.
“Stay back.”
I didn’t.
The guard was breathing.
Blood ran from a cut above his eyebrow.
Dominic checked his pulse and then looked toward the guest suite.
The door stood open.
My heart stopped.
“No.”
I ran.
Dominic caught my arm.
“Claire.”
“Lily.”
We reached the room.
The bed was empty.
The picture book lay open on the carpet.
The pink rabbit was gone.
Rosa was on the bathroom floor, conscious but dazed, one hand pressed to the side of her head.
I dropped beside her.
“Where is Lily?”
Rosa looked at me with horror.
“He said you sent him.”
“Who?”
“Martin.”
My stomach turned.
“He said there was a fire alarm issue and Dominic wanted Lily moved.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“Rosa.”
“I thought he was yours.”
Dominic’s face went completely blank.
“Did he take Lily alone?”
“No.”
“What do you mean?”
“He had Ethan.”
Dominic did not move.
Rosa swallowed.
“Ethan came in first.”
“He said his father wanted him with Lily because they were moving both children.”
“Then Martin came behind him.”
Dominic looked toward the hallway.
“How long ago?”
“Maybe three minutes.”
He was already on his phone.
“Lock the entire estate.”
Gabriel answered through the speaker.
“We’re doing it.”
“Children missing.”
Silence.
Then Gabriel’s voice changed.
“What?”
“Martin took Ethan and Lily.”
I stood so quickly my vision blurred.
“Where would he take them?”
Dominic looked at me.
“To an exit.”
“Which one?”
Gabriel answered through the phone.
“Not the main gates.”
“Service tunnels?”
“There’s an old access corridor under the west garage.”
Dominic’s head snapped toward the hall.
“Seal it.”
“I’m sending men.”
“No.”
Gabriel understood immediately.
“Right.”
Because they no longer knew which men were safe.
Dominic ended the call.
“Stay with Rosa.”
“No.”
“Claire.”
“He has my daughter.”
“I know.”
“And your son.”
“I know.”
“Then stop telling me to stay.”
His jaw tightened.
For one second, fury flashed between us.
Then it disappeared.
“Fine.”
He turned to Rosa.
“Lock this door.”
She nodded weakly.
We ran again.
The west garage sat beyond the kitchen wing.
As we reached the back corridor, alarms began sounding through the estate.
Not fire alarms.
Security tones.
Low, pulsing, mechanical.
Employees appeared in doorways.
Dominic shouted for everyone to stay where they were.
A young server froze with a tray in his hands.
One glass slid off and shattered.
Nobody stopped.
We passed the kitchen.
I saw the cold-room door still sealed with evidence tape.
The ruined birthday cake remained visible through the small glass panel.
For one strange second, I thought about Lily smacking that plate from Ethan’s hand.
Three years old.
No plan.
No understanding of what came after.
She had simply seen danger and acted.
I was her mother.
I could not do less.
At the garage entrance, Gabriel met us.
He had changed out of his jacket and held a handgun low beside his leg.
“West access camera just came back online.”
“And?”
“Martin crossed six minutes ago.”
“With the children?”
“Yes.”
“Rebecca?”
“No.”
“Vehicle?”
“None visible yet.”
“What does the tunnel connect to?”
“A maintenance road beyond the tree line.”
Dominic opened the reinforced garage door.
“Distance?”
“About four hundred yards.”
I looked at him.
“That is not a tunnel.”
“Old service corridor.”
“It feels like a tunnel when your child is inside it.”
Gabriel gave me a brief look.
“Fair.”
The corridor beyond the garage was concrete and narrow, lit by ceiling fixtures every twenty feet.
Our footsteps echoed.
Dominic moved ahead.
Gabriel followed several yards behind, watching our rear.
I ran between them.
Halfway down the corridor, Dominic stopped.
A pink object lay near the wall.
My heart lurched.
I rushed forward.
Lily’s rabbit.
One ear was dirty.
I picked it up.
“She dropped it.”
Dominic looked ahead.
“Or left it.”
I stared at him.
He was right.
Lily did not abandon that rabbit.
Not willingly.
She had left a clue.
A small sound came from farther down.
Then another.
Crying.
I knew that cry.
“Lily.”
Dominic caught my arm before I could run.
“Wait.”
“She’s there.”
“I know.”
The crying stopped.
A man’s voice echoed through the corridor.
“Dominic.”
Martin.
Dominic stepped forward.
“I’m here.”
“Send Gabriel back.”
Gabriel’s face hardened.
Dominic looked at him.
“Do it.”
“No.”
“Gabriel.”
“If I leave, you have no cover.”
“If you stay, he may hurt them.”
Gabriel hesitated.
Then he backed away slowly.
“I’m not going far.”
Martin laughed from the darkness.
“Farther.”
Gabriel disappeared around the bend.
Dominic and I continued.
At the far end, the corridor opened into a small utility bay.
Martin stood near the exterior door.
He held Ethan by the shoulder.
Lily stood beside him, crying silently.
No weapon was visible.
That did not comfort me.
Ethan looked pale but alert.
Lily saw me.
“Mommy.”
I took one step.
Martin tightened his grip on Ethan.
“Stop.”
I stopped.
Dominic’s voice was flat.
“Let them go.”
“Not yet.”
“You have me.”
“I don’t want you.”
“Then what do you want?”
Martin looked at me.
“Her.”
My stomach turned.
“Why?”
He smiled.
“Because Claire was always supposed to be the story.”
Dominic shifted slightly.
Martin noticed.
“Don’t.”
Dominic stopped.
I stared at Martin.
“What story?”
“The grieving employee.”
His smile widened.
“The trusted housekeeper who loses control.”
I could barely breathe.
“You were framing me.”
“Yes.”
“For Ethan’s death.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
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“Because people believe betrayal when it comes from inside the house.”
Dominic’s voice became colder.
