Chapter 3 – THE BROKEN GOLD NECKLACE

I dropped to my knees, my hands shaking as I scooped up the broken gold chain.

“Mr. DeLuca!” I screamed down the hallway.

Heavy footsteps thundered up the stairs. Adrian burst into the room, his eyes scanning the empty bed, the open window, and finally, the necklace in my hands. The color vanished from his face.

“They took them,” he whispered, a terrifying stillness settling over him.

He turned slowly, walking back down the stairs with the broken chain dangling from his fingers. When he reached the foyer, he didn’t yell. He walked straight to Celeste, who was sobbing into her hands. He held up the necklace.

“Where are my children?”

Celeste shrank back. “I don’t know! Adrian, I swear, I thought my father was just moving them to the penthouse for the weekend so we could pack your mother’s things in peace!”

Elias, still guarded by Adrian’s security, let out a bitter laugh. “You think I took them? You fools. Look at Arthur.”

We all turned. The doorway was empty. Arthur Vance had slipped out during the chaos.

Rosa gripped her cane, her knuckles white. “The… bakery. He… went… to… the bakery.”

Adrian pulled out his phone, barking orders to his men. “Lock down Halsted Street. Nobody gets in or out.” He looked at me. “Claire, stay with my mother. Keep her safe.”

“No,” Rosa said firmly. Her voice was suddenly clearer, driven by a grandmother’s fierce adrenaline. “I… go… too.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a heavy, rusted iron key. I had seen it a hundred times on her dresser, assuming it was a useless antique.

Adrian stared at the key. “What is that, Ma?”

“The only… way… into… the basement.”

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