Chapter 1 - The Voice Behind the Wall

The first swing of Elena Ruiz's sledgehammer cracked the marble trim.

The second punched a fist-sized hole through the drywall.

The third made the wall scream back.

"Dad! Please help me!"

Elena froze with the hammer over her shoulder.

From inside the wall came a child's terrified sob.

Then Arthur Bennett stormed through the library doors.

"What are you doing with that sledgehammer?"

Elena spun around. Dust covered her black housekeeping dress and stuck to the sweat on her face. "Your son is trapped inside this wall!"

Arthur stopped so hard his shoes skidded on the hardwood.

"What? That's impossible. Leo is with Victoria. She took him to her sister's house."

A small fist pounded from behind the broken plaster.

"Dad!"

Arthur's face emptied of color.

"Leo?"

"Please! I can't breathe good!"

Arthur lunged for the wall.

"Oh my God. Leo! I'm here!"

Footsteps clicked behind them.

Victoria Bennett appeared in the doorway wearing a white silk blouse and tailored black pants. For half a second, she looked shocked.

Then furious.

"Stop her right now, Arthur!"

Elena tightened both hands around the hammer. "Stay back, ma'am."

Arthur slowly turned toward his wife.

"Did you know about this?"

Victoria's mouth opened.

Nothing came out.

Arthur stared at her. "Victoria. Did you know my son was inside that wall?"

Her eyes shifted toward the hole.

That was the answer.

Arthur's voice dropped. "How long?"

"Arthur, listen to me—"

"How long has he been in there?"

Victoria's composure cracked.

"He was never supposed to be found!"

The room went silent except for Leo crying behind the wall.

Arthur looked at his wife as if he had never seen her before.

"You locked my son inside a wall?"

"It wasn't like that."

"Then what was it like?"

Victoria's eyes filled, but there was no grief in them. Only panic.

"It was all for our future."

Arthur snatched the sledgehammer from Elena.

"Our future doesn't include you."

He swung.

The wall burst open.

Behind it was not insulation.

It was a hidden room.

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