Chapter 3 - Whispers in the Linen Room
Down in the basement of the east wing, where the smell of bleach, steam, and damp stone hung thick in the air, the domestic staff moved in frantic, hushed hurry. News of the incident in the nursery wing had traveled like a wildfire through the estate’s hidden service corridors.
Grace sat on a wooden bench in the linen fold room, her hands tucked between her knees to stop their violent shaking. Lily sat beside her, happily swinging her bare feet, completely oblivious to the earthquake she had just triggered in the upper levels of the mansion. Mr. Buttons lay on the table between them, his cotton stuffing spilling out like white snow.
"You shouldn't have said anything, Lily," Grace whispered, pulling her daughter close and pressing a fierce kiss into her curly hair. "You don't understand who these people are. They aren't like us. If they think we know something..."
"But the needle was sharp, Mommy," Lily said innocently, reaching out to pat her mother’s cheek. "It was going to hurt Mr. Russo. Just like when I got my shot at the clinic."
The heavy oak door of the linen room creaked open, and Marcus stepped inside. He was a mountain of a man, clad in a sharp black suit, his shoulder holster bulging slightly beneath his jacket. To the rest of the world, Marcus was a terrifying enforcer; to the domestic staff, he was the silent shadow that ensured no one stepped out of line.
"Grace," Marcus said, his voice flat and unreadable.
Grace stood up instantly, instinctively positioning herself in front of her daughter. "Marcus, please. Lily is four years old. She doesn't know what a blue seal means. She just found a needle in her toy. We won't say a word to anyone—I'll pack our bags, we'll leave tonight—"
"Sit down, Grace," Marcus interrupted, his expression softening just a fraction. He pulled a wooden stool over and sat down opposite them, his bulk making the small furniture look comical. "Nobody is leaving. The boss wants you both kept safe. If Isabella or Vance realized the kid saw them hide the secondary dose, you'd both be in the river by morning."
Grace’s breath caught in her throat. "Secondary dose?"
"Hale was supposed to administer the main dose during the health check," Marcus explained, leaning forward and keeping his voice exceptionally low. "If Dominic suspected something was wrong with the first needle and refused it, the backup plan was to introduce the compound into his nightcap or food later. Isabella used the bear as a temporary drop point while the nursery was empty, planning to retrieve it after the doctor left."
"Why the bear?" Grace asked, horror dawning on her face. "Why bring a child into this?"
"Because nobody searches a four-year-old’s bedroom," Marcus replied grimly. "And nobody expects a maid's kid to talk back to a Vance."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet-lined box, setting it gently on the table next to the torn teddy bear.
"The boss wants this fixed," Marcus said, gesturing to Mr. Buttons. "And he wants you to stay in the private quarters upstairs tonight. Not down here. Not in the staff wing."
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Grace looked at the box, then up at the enforcer. "Why upstairs?"
"Because," Marcus said, standing up and checking his watch, "Dominic is about to tear this house down, and he wants the only honest person in it where he can see her."
