Chapter 1 - The Key Beneath the Blue Heel
Rachel entered the glass-walled penthouse and immediately stopped.
A six-year-old girl, Emily, sat barefoot on the floor beside Victoria’s cobalt designer heels. She was polishing one shoe with a black cloth while crying silently.
“Don’t stop until they shine,” Victoria instructed calmly. “She needs to learn her place.”
Rachel stepped forward. “Step away from the child.”
She took the cloth, checked Emily for harm, and lifted her into her arms.
“She made me do it,” Emily sobbed.
David rushed down the staircase. “Agent, please—this is not what it looks like.”
Rachel held the child closer. “Then explain why a terrified six-year-old is on the floor cleaning her shoes.”
Emily pointed at the heel. “She said my mom used to clean them too.”
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Rachel inspected the shoe and discovered a small brass key taped underneath.
David’s face turned pale. “That key opens the room she said didn’t exist.”
