Chapter 12
The mansion locked down within minutes.
Julian ordered every gate closed.
Roman checked every camera.
Detective Chen called in citywide alerts.
I stood in the hallway outside Ivy’s room, because somehow my body had decided that was where I needed to be.
Ivy sat inside with Beatrice, unaware of the exact danger.
Julian came down the hall fast.
“You should be with security,” I said.
“I should be with my daughter.”
That answer landed somewhere deep.
A place I did not want him reaching.
He stopped beside me.
“Are you afraid?”
“Yes.”
“Me too.”
We stood in silence.
Then Ivy opened the door.
“You’re both bad at whispering.”
Julian crouched.
“Ivy, Celeste is in trouble with the police. We need you to stay with Grandmother tonight.”
Ivy looked at me.
“Is Mara staying?”
Julian hesitated.
I said, “I can.”
She nodded.
“Good. Aunt Celeste smiles with too many teeth.”
Despite everything, I laughed.
So did Julian.
For half a second, the night became human again.
Then Roman’s voice came through Julian’s earpiece.
“Sir, we found something in Miss Ashford’s guest suite.”
We went there with Detective Chen.
Celeste’s room looked untouched.
Too perfect.
In the vanity drawer, Roman found a burner phone, a false passport, and a photograph of me taken outside my apartment.
My stomach turned.
“She followed me.”
Detective Chen picked up the photo.
“Not just tonight.”
There were more.
Me leaving the subway.
Me at Lena’s college.
Me outside the hospital where my mother had died years ago.
Julian’s face darkened.
“She has been watching you.”
I whispered, “Why?”
Detective Chen opened the burner phone.
The last message had been sent to a saved contact named M.
Package still around maid’s neck.
May you like
The reply came three minutes before Celeste escaped.
Then remove the maid.
