ry

I muttered, abandoning my post on the balcony. I strode quickly through the dimly lit back corridors, my heels bit

d. A text banner from Caleb popped up across the top: View-only, Mommy. Don't worry, we got this.

the hum of ventilation fans and the occasional drip of condensation. It was a showroom of wealth: Fe

ent, was leaning against a concrete

st sent to the driver's device: Congratulations! You've won

ff voice echoed faintly through the garage's hacked security mic.

lked

d, a small ventilation grate near t

nees. He was followed by Sophie, w

, her voice picking up pe

arpiece beneath my hair. "Cameras looped. Y

pace to a near-run. The garage was all t

ped his backpack. He pulled out a can of ne

clack-

echoed in

ght up to the pristine blac

SHH

, jagged, crooked

hie encouraged, bo

BEAT. It dripped pink slime

t," Noa

," Caleb commande

into the car's external sensor

elevator chime

ort!" Soph

thick concrete pillar. Sophie turned to run, but her foot caught on a grease

er. It was a secur

ach. He stopped dead in his tr

io. "Control, we have a 10-99 in the VIP gar

ing it in, Sophie sprinted across t

go!" Noah

d back into

s frame, Sophie reached up

touched her ponytail. The custom velv

id, pulling her arm.

over me as I saw them securely back inside the access stairwell.

back to the playroom myself, when my colleague Lau

nt demands your expe

situation to handle," I said, rubbi

"It is Ms. Claire Hayes. She is... making a scene. She is threat

aused a scene and triggered a full security lockdown, guards would sweep every co

us calm settled over me. I adjusted my m

ify her to buy the kids time to get ba

els clicking against the marble floo

red th

he looked exactly the same as she had five years ago-beau

r eyes raking over me and my m

e asked. "Fetch me some

yes hidden behind the mask, burni

said, my voice dropping to a low,

arly surprised by t

, walking slowly to the table. "Show