Chapter 2 - The Girl Outside the Window
I called Daniel immediately.
“Lock the estate down.”
“Threat?”
“Inside the house.”
Silence.
Then his voice changed.
“Where are you?”
“Security room.”
“Stay there.”
“No.”
“Marcus—”
“My daughters are upstairs.”
I left before he finished.
Two guards met me near the staircase.
“Mr. DeLuca?”
“Nobody touches Lorraine until Daniel gets here.”
“What about the girl outside?”
“Nobody touches her either.”
I entered the nursery.
Isabella froze.
Mia quickly shoved something beneath her blanket.
I crouched.
“What are you hiding?”
“Nothing.”
“Isabella.”
Her eyes filled with fear.
Not fear of me.
Fear of getting caught.
I softened my voice.
“Show me.”
She slowly pulled out the metal container.
Half a sandwich remained.
“Who gave you this?”
Isabella pointed toward the window.
“Grace.”
There it was.
A name.
“How long has Grace been bringing you food?”
Isabella started counting on her fingers.
Mia answered first.
“Lots.”
My stomach twisted.
“Does Lorraine feed you?”
Both girls went silent.
“Sweetheart, look at Daddy.”
Isabella looked at me.
“Sometimes she brings food.”
“And?”
“She takes pictures.”
“And then?”
“She takes it away.”
“Why?”
“Because she says we’re spoiled.”
Mia whispered, “She says hungry girls behave better.”
I stood so quickly the chair behind me tipped over.
Isabella flinched.
I forced myself to calm down.
“That will never happen again.”
“Promise?”
I looked at her.
“On my life.”
A knock came from the hallway.
Daniel entered.
His face told me he already knew enough.
“We found Lorraine.”
“Where?”
“Her office.”
“Doing what?”
“Destroying files.”
I looked toward the window.
“And Grace?”
“Still outside.”
“Bring her in.”
Daniel hesitated.
“She’s terrified.”
“Of me?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then what?”
“Lorraine.”
Five minutes later, Grace entered the nursery.
Up close, she looked even younger.
Thin.
Cold.
Terrified.
Isabella immediately ran toward her.
“Grace!”
Grace hugged her.
That told me everything about who had actually protected my children.
I kept my distance.
“You’ve been feeding my daughters.”
Grace looked at the floor.
“Yes, sir.”
“How long?”
“Almost two months.”
“Why didn’t you come to the front gate?”
“I tried.”
“When?”
“Lots of times.”
“Who stopped you?”
She looked toward the doorway.
“Mrs. Hayes.”
“Why?”
Grace swallowed.
“She said you’d never believe me.”
“Believe what?”
The girl reached into her canvas bag.
Daniel instinctively stepped forward.
I raised my hand.
Grace removed an envelope.
Old.
Creased.
My name was written across the front.
MARCUS DELUCA.
I recognized the handwriting immediately.
Sophia’s.
My knees nearly gave out.
“Where did you get that?”
Grace’s voice shook.
“My mother.”
“Who is your mother?”
“Emily Carter.”
The name hit me.
Sophia’s younger half-sister.
A woman I had been told disappeared years before Sophia and I married.
Grace held the envelope toward me.
“My mom died last year.”
I took it.
“She told me if anything happened to her, I had to find you.”
“Why?”
Grace glanced at Isabella and Mia.
“Because she said Lorraine was stealing from your family.”
Daniel looked at me.
I opened the letter.
Inside were only three lines.
Marcus,
If Grace reaches you, listen to her.
Lorraine knows what happened before Sophia died.
And she knows why Emily ran.
I read the final sentence twice.
Then Lorraine’s voice came from the doorway.
“You always were dramatic, Marcus.”
Everyone turned.
Lorraine stood between two guards.
She looked completely calm.
I folded the letter.
“You starved my children.”
“Oh, please. They missed a few meals.”
Grace stepped backward.
Lorraine noticed.
Her smile returned.
“And there she is. Emily’s little mistake.”
I moved between them.
“Say another word about that child.”
Lorraine’s smile disappeared.
Daniel spoke quietly.
“Marcus.”
I looked at him.
He held up Lorraine’s tablet.
May you like
“You need to see what we found.”
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