BURIED IN GOLD

The sound of splintering mahogany echoed through the vaulted, hollow corridor of Blackwood Manor. Maria’s knuckles were bloody and raw, yet she ignored the searing pain as she tore the last strip of paneling away from the false partition. Behind it, curled like an abandoned stray in the cold insulation, was six-year-old Leo.

His sky-blue silk pajamas were caked in dust and plaster. His small chest heaved in ragged gasps, teardrops tracing paths through the grime on his pale face.

“He... he told me Daddy would never find me,” Leo stammered, his lips trembling as his fingers clutched at the empty air.

Maria pulled him into her arms without hesitation. The warmth of the child against her chest anchored her trembling knees. “I’ve got you, sweetheart,” she whispered fiercely, rocking him back and forth against the cold marble floor. “You’re safe now. I swear on my life, you’re safe.”

At the far end of the hall, the sharp, rhythmic click of stiletto heels broke the silence. Evelyn strode forward, the metallic gold lamé of her evening dress catching the low ambient light like liquid poison. Behind her stalked Julian Vance, his tailored tuxedo jacket undone, his aristocratic composure cracking by the second.

“Put him back, Maria,” Evelyn said softly, her lips curved into an icy, practiced smile. “Do that, and I might just let you keep your job.”

Julian stepped past her, his jaw clenching so hard the muscles jumped beneath his skin. He saw the shattered wood, the dust on his son’s face, and the terrified look in Leo’s eyes.

“You locked my son inside the wall?” Julian’s voice dropped to a lethal register, vibrating through the corridor.

Evelyn turned, her smile unbothered. “He was making noise before the foundation dinner, Julian. It was simply a timeout.”

Julian lunged forward, closing the distance until he was inches from her face. His eyes flared with a fury born of pure instinct. “You just sealed your own grave, Evelyn.”