Chapter 1 - The Roses on the Marble.
The grand hall fell into a suffocating silence.
The crystal chandelier above seemed to flicker, casting sharp light across the black-and-white marble floor and the long-stemmed red roses scattered from the evening gala.
Adrian Vale stood in the center of the hall with his fists clenched at his sides.
His shoulder-length black hair had fallen loose around his face, and his dark suit looked as if he had forgotten he was still wearing it.
He had come home expecting to kiss his daughter goodnight.
Instead, six-year-old Lily stood ten feet away from him, shaking so hard that the ears of her white stuffed rabbit trembled against her chest.
Red scratches marked both of her small forearms.
Her face was wet with tears.
Behind her, Nora, the young maid, looked as pale as the marble beneath her shoes.
Celeste stood near the sweeping staircase in a silver evening gown, one hand pressed against her throat.
Adrian's voice cracked through the room.
"What happened to my daughter?"
Lily flinched at the volume, and Adrian immediately hated himself for frightening her more.
He took one slow step forward.
"Lily, sweetheart, look at me."
She raised her eyes with effort.
"She locked me up and I couldn't breathe, Father."
Adrian's face went still.
The anger inside him became colder instead of louder.
He crossed the distance and dropped to one knee in front of Lily.
"I'm here, Princess."
He gently touched her shoulder, careful not to brush the scratches.
"No one will hurt you anymore."
Lily leaned toward him but did not let go of the rabbit.
Nora finally stepped forward.
"Sir, she locked Miss Lily in the cellar and would not let her have her rescue inhaler."
Celeste's mouth fell open.
"That is a lie."
Nora turned toward her.
"I heard her pounding on the door."
Celeste's shock hardened into fury.
"You heard what I told you to hear."
Adrian rose slowly.
The chandelier light flashed against Celeste's gown, making her look almost armored.
"Get out of my house before I forget that my daughter is watching."
Celeste did not move.
"Adrian, if you throw me out now, you will never learn why she was in that cellar."
His jaw tightened.
"There is no explanation that makes this acceptable."
"Then ask your maid what Lily was doing down there before I found her."
Nora's expression changed.
It was only a flicker, but Adrian saw it.
Fear.
Not fear of Celeste.
Fear of the question.
Adrian turned toward Nora.
"What does she mean?"
Nora swallowed.
"I don't know."
Celeste laughed once, without humor.
"Of course you do."
Lily suddenly tugged on Adrian's sleeve.
"Daddy."
He bent immediately.
"What is it?"
She opened one hand.
A small brass key lay in her palm.
A strip of silver fabric was caught around its teeth.
Celeste stared at the key as if it were a weapon.
Adrian looked from the torn silver thread to the gown she was wearing.
"Where did you get this?"
Lily's breathing became shallow again.
"Under the floor."
Nora closed her eyes.
Celeste stepped backward.
Adrian noticed that the hem of her silver gown was torn.
"What floor?"
Lily pointed toward the dark corridor leading to the cellar stairs.
"The floor under the floor."
Then she whispered something that made Celeste lose every trace of color.
"The lady in the picture told me where to look."
Adrian stopped breathing for a second.
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There was only one woman's picture hanging in the cellar corridor.
Lily's mother had been dead for four years.
