Chapter 2 – The Child Who Called Her "Mama"
The lobby fell into complete silence.
Even the soft piano music drifting through the Grand Alcazar seemed to disappear.
The little girl wrapped both arms around Elena's legs as though she had done it a thousand times before.
"Mama," she whispered again.
Julian couldn't breathe.
His gaze dropped to the child's face.
She couldn't have been older than six.
Chestnut-brown hair spilled over her tiny shoulders, and those deep brown eyes looked hauntingly familiar.
His own eyes.
His pulse hammered inside his ears.
Camila was the first to break the silence.
"Oh, my God," she muttered with a smug smile. "Looks like your wife didn't waste any time moving on."
Julian didn't even look at her.
He took one cautious step toward the little girl.
"What's your name?" he asked gently.
Before the child could answer, Elena bent down and scooped her into her arms.
"It's all right, sweetheart."
The little girl buried her face against Elena's shoulder.
"I don't like those people."
Julian's heart tightened.
Elena stroked the child's hair, but her eyes never left Richard Mercer.
She wasn't worried about Julian.
She was watching Mercer.
Watching him the way someone watches a loaded gun.
Mercer's smile returned.
"I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Rossi. Emily has grown attached to several members of our housekeeping staff."
Julian frowned.
"You mean she's not Elena's daughter?"
Mercer chuckled lightly.
"Of course not."
The answer came too quickly.
Too smoothly.
Julian had negotiated with presidents, billionaires, and criminal financiers.
He knew rehearsed lies the moment he heard them.
The little girl suddenly looked at Mercer.
"I don't like him."
Mercer's jaw tightened for the briefest second.
"Emily," he said calmly, "your grandmother is waiting."
The child clung even harder to Elena.
"I want Mama."
Julian noticed it immediately.
Not once...
Not twice...
Three times the little girl had called Elena "Mama."
Children didn't invent that out of nowhere.
Especially not with that much certainty.
Elena whispered into the girl's ear.
"You have to be brave."
Tears formed in Emily's eyes.
"But you promised you wouldn't leave me."
Julian's stomach twisted.
Leave?
Again?
Before Elena could answer, a sharply dressed woman hurried across the lobby.
She looked to be in her late fifties, wearing expensive pearls and carrying herself with practiced elegance.
"Emily."
The little girl immediately froze.
Her tiny hands began shaking.
"I said," the woman repeated coldly, "come here."
Emily didn't move.
Instead, she buried herself deeper against Elena's shoulder.
The woman forced a pleasant smile for the watching guests.
"I apologize. Children become attached to employees."
Julian looked from the frightened child to the perfectly composed woman.
Something wasn't right.
Children ran toward people they trusted.
They didn't tremble when a grandmother appeared.
Elena slowly placed Emily on the floor.
"Kneel down for me," she whispered softly.
Emily obeyed.
Elena straightened the little girl's sweater and kissed her forehead.
"You remember what I told you?"
Emily nodded with watery eyes.
"Be strong."
"And?"
"Never tell strangers where the bird is hiding."
Julian frowned.
The bird?
What bird?
It sounded less like a game...
...and more like a secret.
The older woman's expression hardened for an instant before she grabbed Emily's hand.
"We're leaving."
Emily looked back over her shoulder.
"Mama..."
Her voice cracked.
"I'll miss you."
Elena smiled through tears.
"I know, sweetheart."
As the woman led Emily away, the child secretly slipped something from her tiny pocket.
Without anyone else noticing, she let it fall beside one of the wheels of Elena's housekeeping cart.
Then she disappeared around the corner.
Julian had seen the movement.
Mercer hadn't.
Neither had Camila.
Elena's face turned pale.
She had seen it too.
For the first time since Julian had found her, genuine panic flashed across her face.
She shoved the cleaning cart forward.
"I have to go."
Julian blocked her path.
"What did she drop?"
"Nothing."
"Elena."
"It doesn't concern you."
His voice softened.
"It concerns me if someone is threatening my wife."
A painful silence stretched between them.
Then Elena whispered so quietly that only Julian could hear.
"Please..."
"Walk away."
"If you keep asking questions..."
"They'll kill you."
Before Julian could react, Elena pushed past him and hurried toward the service corridor.
Mercer immediately followed her.
Julian watched them disappear.
Only after they were gone did he slowly crouch beside the housekeeping cart.
Near one of the brass wheels lay a tiny folded piece of pink paper.
No bigger than a child's palm.
He unfolded it carefully.
Inside was a crayon drawing.
A man.
A pregnant woman.
A little girl.
All three were holding hands beneath a bright yellow sun.
May you like
At the bottom, written in uneven childish handwriting, were six words that made Julian's blood run cold.
"Daddy, please save Mama before tonight."
