Chapter 5
The air in the small powder room grew suffocatingly tight. Sabrina Vale glared at Grace, her beautiful features twisted into a mask of cruel superiority. The older woman’s fair skin flushed with quiet, contained rage.
"You think you’re clever, jumping in to play savior to a broken little girl," Sabrina whispered, her voice venomous. "You’re nothing but a uniform in this house. Ethan doesn't even know your last name."
"I know what I saw your brother put in that glass, Ms. Vale," Grace countered, her voice dropping to a low, steady register. Her athletic frame was primed, every muscle tight and ready to react. "You’ve been sedating her. That’s why she doesn't speak. That’s why she walks around like a ghost."
Sabrina didn't flinch. Instead, a slow, chilling smile spread across her lips. It was a micro-expression of absolute arrogance.
"Lily is a traumatized child who suffers from night terrors," Sabrina said smoothly, the lie rolling off her tongue with practiced ease. "Her doctor prescribed a mild sedative to help her sleep. Ethan knows about it. If you run to him with wild accusations about poisoning, he will have you thrown out on the street for harassing his family."
Grace’s eyes narrowed. "If it’s a legal prescription, why does your brother sneak it into her milk from an unmarked vial? Why not give it to her openly?"
"Because she hates the taste, you idiot," Sabrina snapped, her patience fraying. She took a step closer, her ivory silk gown brushing against Grace’s black-and-white uniform. "Listen to me very carefully. Tomorrow morning, Ethan and I sign the marital trusts. Once that ink is dry, my brother and I control the Caldwell estate, including Lily’s inheritance. You are an insect buzzing around a titan. Cross me again tonight, and I won't just fire you. I will make sure you never work in this city again."
Sabrina turned gracefully and reached for the brass doorknob. She paused, looking over her shoulder.
"Stay in the kitchens for the rest of the night," Sabrina ordered. "If I see you in the ballroom, I will have security physically remove you."
She opened the door and swept out into the hallway, leaving a trail of expensive perfume in her wake.
Grace stood in the silence of the bathroom, her jaw clenched tight. Sabrina was confident, but she had made a critical error. She had revealed her timeline. Tomorrow morning, the trusts would be signed. They needed Lily compliant and silent tonight, ensuring Ethan suspected nothing before the legal documents bound him to Sabrina forever.
Grace exited the powder room, her mind racing. She couldn't just go to Ethan. Sabrina was right; without proof, a billionaire would always believe his fiancée over a maid who had been hired three weeks ago. She needed hard evidence. She needed the vial.
She slipped through the service corridors, moving parallel to the main ballroom. She peered through the cracked catering doors. The party was in full swing. Ethan was standing near the grand staircase, a microphone in his hand, preparing to make his official engagement toast.
Grace scanned the crowd. Vance was standing near the edge of the staircase, looking agitated. Sabrina walked quickly up to him, grabbing his arm. Grace couldn't hear their words over the murmur of the crowd, but she could read their body language. Sabrina was angry. Vance shook his head, patting his jacket pocket.
Suddenly, Grace noticed Lily. The little girl had stood up from the bottom step. Without the sedative in her system, Lily’s eyes were wide, darting around the room. She looked terrified, but she looked awake.
Sabrina noticed it too. Panic flashed across the blonde woman's face. If Lily spoke, if she caused a scene during the toast, Ethan would immediately focus all his attention on the child.
May you like
Sabrina shoved her hand into her small clutch purse and moved swiftly toward the little girl. Grace saw the glint of plastic and metal in Sabrina’s hand.
It wasn't a vial. It was a syringe.
