Chapter 2
The ambient hum of the crowded Christmas reception flowed seamlessly around the room, masking the quiet, desperate exhaustion radiating from the young maid. The clinking of crystal glasses and the soft scraping of polished shoes continued across the vast salon, but near the towering Christmas tree, a profound, innocent tragedy was rapidly unfolding in the shadows of the evergreen garlands.
Elise paused beside the polished walnut console, her hands trembling slightly as she leaned against the cool wood just to keep herself upright. Her breath hitched in her chest, a terrifying, anxious flutter that she desperately tried to suppress. Her hands instinctively smoothed the wrinkles of her rumpled white apron, though the effort was entirely futile against the creases caused by her grueling fourteen-hour shift and the terrifying encounter she had survived just hours prior.
"Are you quite alright to keep working, Elise?" a passing guest asked, noting the dark shadows beneath the maid's expressive eyes. "You look as though you might faint right here on the marble."
"I am perfectly fine, sir," Elise whispered, forcing a polite, submissive tone while suppressing a wave of exhaustion. "Thank you for asking. I just need a moment to catch my breath before I return to the kitchens. It has been a very long day."
"Well, see that you don't drop any of the crystal," the guest replied dismissively, turning back to his conversation. "Camille would have your head."
Elise looked across the room. A few feet away, Camille stood holding a glass of champagne. The fiancée's diamond earrings caught the light as she walked deliberately toward the glowing Christmas tree, her emerald velvet gown rustling violently.
Elise’s heart hammered against her ribs. The secret she was hiding felt heavier than the marble pillars surrounding them. In the stroller beside her sat three-year-old Leo Ashford. The little boy was a vision of innocence, a beautiful African American child with medium-brown skin, soft curls, round rosy cheeks, and little dimples. He was dressed impeccably in a red velvet romper over a cream knitted shirt, a tiny plaid bow tie, and soft brown shoes.
Weeks ago, Leo had suffered a minor ankle sprain. The doctors had cleared him, explicitly stating he was fully healed. But Camille had weaponized the injury. She had secretly frightened the toddler into remaining confined to his stroller, claiming that if he walked again, his Daddy would leave him forever. Camille had then lied to Damon, claiming the boy was simply traumatized and too afraid to walk.
"Elise, darling," Camille called out, her voice a venomous, barely audible whisper that carried the sharp, clipped tones of her American accent as she approached the console earlier that afternoon. "Come here immediately. We have unfinished business."
"Yes, Miss Voss," Elise had whispered, her expressive eyes wide with terror as she took a cautious step forward, her rumpled white apron pulling askew.
"You are a complete mess," Camille had hissed, grabbing Elise by the hair, leaving the loose strands framing her face. "I told you to keep that brat in the stroller. If you encourage him to walk, I will make sure you disappear. Do you understand me? You are an embarrassment."
"I understand, Miss Voss," Elise had pleaded, her voice cracking.
Now, back in the present moment amidst the Christmas reception, Elise looked down at little Leo. The boy looked up at her with wide, sad eyes, his soft brown shoes resting uselessly against the footrest of the stroller. Elise could not bear the psychological torture being inflicted on the innocent child. She knelt down, her black dress pooling on the marble floor.
"Leo, sweetie," Elise whispered gently, taking his small hands in hers. "You have to trust me. Your daddy loves you more than anything in the world. He wants to see you walk. He wants to see you run and play."
May you like
"But Auntie Camille said he will go away," Leo pouted, his lower lip trembling, his little dimples disappearing. "If I stand up, Daddy leaves."
"That is a lie, Leo," Elise said fiercely, her voice thick with emotion. "It is a very bad lie. Look, your daddy is right over there. Show him how strong you are. Show him you are a brave boy."
