“Just myself, ma’am,” Maya lied, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Celeste’s warm smile vanished. She lunged forward, violently shoving Maya aside to look at the wall.
*CRASH.*
Maya collided with the heavy gilded frame, bringing it crashing down entirely. The remaining glass shattered into a thousand jagged pieces across the marble floor with a deafening roar.
Seconds later, frantic footsteps sprinted down the corridor.
Jonathan Hawthorne burst into the hallway, his black bowtie askew. He froze, staring at the gaping hole in the wall. Ignoring the sharp shards, he dropped to his knees right in the broken glass, his face twisting with genuine agony. He reached a shaking hand into the dark void.
“Noah… Who did this to you? Tell me, son. Who locked you in here?”
Celeste stepped smoothly up behind her husband. She didn’t look worried at all. Taking a slow sip from her champagne flute, she stared down at the starving boy. Her lips curled into a wicked, icy sneer.
“Careful, Noah,” she warned. Her voice was flat, but the threat was razor-sharp.
Noah’s face went chalk-white. Staring over his father’s shoulder at his stepmother, he began to tremble violently. He raised a frail, filthy finger.
“She…” he stammered.
“Noah!” Celeste roared, dropping her sweet facade entirely.
Jonathan whipped around, staring at his wife in shock. Celeste immediately pivoted, her eyes welling with fake, desperate tears. “Jonathan, it was the maid! Maya locked him in there to extort us! She’s deranged!”
Jonathan stood, his fists clenched, turning a furious glare toward Maya.
But Maya wasn’t running. She was smiling.
She reached into her apron, pulled out her hidden cell phone, and tapped the speaker icon. The 911 dispatcher’s voice echoed crystal-clear through the silent, luxurious hallway.
“Greenwich Police. We have units pulling up to your front gates right now. We heard everything on the open line, Mrs. Hawthorne. Do not move.”
For the first time all evening, Celeste Hawthorne looked absolutely terrified. Her champagne flute slipped from her fingers, shattering at her feet.