BURIED IN PLAIN SIGHT

The metallic click-clack echoed rhythmically, vibrating through the wall studs. Emma didn't wait for permission or the arrival of emergency services. Stripping off her rubber gloves, she shoved her arm deeper into the dark recess, feeling along Ethan’s pinned leg.

Her fingers brushed against cold, heavy steel. It wasn't just a rope; an antique iron padlock bound a heavy chain around Ethan's ankle, looped tightly around the central radiator pipe that ran up through the mansion’s inner core.

"Get a crowbar! Someone bring a sledgehammer from the basement!" Emma shouted toward the stunned catering staff.

Two valets scrambled toward the service stairs. Julian, his breathing erratic, grabbed the edges of the broken plaster with his bare hands, tearing at the drywall in a frantic frenzy. Blood welled up from his palms as sharp drywall screws sliced into his skin, but he seemed entirely numb to the pain.

"Hang on, buddy," Julian gasped, tears streaming freely down his face. "Dad's going to get you out. I'm right here."

"You told everyone I was bad," Ethan whispered, his hazel eyes wide and glassy with fever. "The man with the silver ring told me you paid him to hide me so I wouldn't ruin your promotion."

Victoria staggered backward, catching herself against a marble pedestal. Her eyes burned with horrified betrayal as she looked at Julian. Julian was in the final running for the state’s appellate judge seat—a position that demanded an unblemished public life and zero personal scandal.

"That's a lie!" Julian yelled, his voice breaking. "Ethan, look at me! I would never hurt you! Who told you that? Who gave you that suit?"

Ethan shivered violently, slipping into delirium. "He brought me cold sandwiches every night through the laundry chute. He said... if I made a sound during the party, you'd send Mommy away forever."

Emma leaned in closer with her flashlight, illuminating the boy's lap. Tucked inside his dusty suit pocket was a heavy brass key attached to a familiar silver keychain.

Emma’s heart slammed against her ribs. She recognized that keychain instantly. It belonged to Highpoint Manor's private security detail—specifically, the head of estate security, Marcus Vance.