Chapter 4 - The Bloodhound and the Maid
Downstairs in the warm, brightly lit kitchen, Hannah Reed was trying to distract the girls with a box of cinnamon crackers, but the tension in the air was palpable. Even through the thick plaster walls, the muffled shouting from the upper floors had sent shivers through the household staff.
Emma sat cross-legged on the floor, carefully re-stitching the teddy bear’s ear with a fresh piece of heavy-duty nylon thread she had found in the sewing box. Her tiny tongue poked out in intense concentration.
“You’re doing great, sweetie,” Hannah murmured, stroking her daughter’s dark hair, though her eyes remained locked on the kitchen doorway.
Lily sat beside her, hugging her knees to her chest. “My mom didn't leave us, right, Hannah?” she asked softly, her big brown eyes swimming with unshed tears. “The recording... she said she would never leave us.”
Hannah knelt beside Lily, taking the little girl’s cold hands in her own.
“Your mother loved you more than anything in this world, Lily,” Hannah said firmly, her voice carrying a quiet strength that instantly calmed the child. “I only worked here for a few months before she passed, but I saw the way she looked at you. Mothers like that don't just walk away. Don't ever let anyone tell you different.”
“Vivian said she didn't want us anymore,” Lily whispered. “She said my daddy was too busy with his business, and Mommy got tired of the fighting.”
A cold anger flared in Hannah’s chest. She had suspected Vivian Sloan was a venomous snake from the first day she stepped foot on the estate, but she had kept her head down to protect Emma. Working as a housekeeper in a mafia boss's mansion wasn't safe for a single mother on the run from her own past, but Hannah had needed the sanctuary.
Now, sanctuary had turned into a war zone.
“Vivian lied,” Hannah said clearly. “And your father is going to make sure the truth comes out. I promise you.”
Suddenly, the kitchen door swung open.
It wasn't Roman or Thomas.
It was Maria, one of the senior kitchen maids who had been with the Hale family for over a decade. Her face was deathly pale, and she was clutching a heavy leather handbag to her chest like a shield.
“Hannah,” Maria whispered urgently, glancing back over her shoulder down the dark hallway leading to the servants’ exit. “You need to grab Emma and get out of here right now.”
Hannah stood up, shielding the girls behind her. “Maria, what are you talking about? Mr. Hale is upstairs—”
“Mr. Hale is dealing with Vivian, but Margaret just called me from her burner phone,” Maria interrupted, her voice shaking. “She said the police are already paid off. She said Victor Vance’s men are moving onto the grounds right now through the perimeter forest. They’re coming for the girl, Hannah.”
Hannah’s heart skipped a beat. “For Lily?”
“No,” Maria said, her eyes wide with terror as she stared directly at three-year-old Emma. “For her.”
Hannah froze. The blood drained from her face, leaving her feeling dizzy.
May you like
“What... what do you mean?”
“Margaret recognized you when you applied for the housekeeping job three months ago,” Maria blurted out, tears springing to her eyes. “She knew who you really were, Hannah. She knew you were Claire Hale’s younger sister—her estranged sister who went into hiding after the corporate whistleblowing scandal five years ago. And she knows Emma is Claire’s niece.”
